History of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs facts for kids

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are a famous rugby league team from Sydney, Australia. They joined the top competition, then called the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL), in 1935. This league is now known as the NRL.

The Bulldogs quickly made history, winning their first championship (premiership) in just their fourth season, 1938. This was a record for a new club at the time! They won again in 1942. After a long wait, they won their third title in 1980. The 1980s were a golden age for the Bulldogs, as they played in five Grand Finals and won four of them! In the 1990s, they reached the Grand Final three times, winning in 1995. Their most recent championship was in 2004, when they beat the Sydney Roosters 16–13. Key players in that win included Hazem El Masri and Matt Utai, and Willie Mason was named the best player in the Grand Final.

How the Bulldogs Started

The Canterbury and Bankstown areas in Sydney's southwest loved rugby league. They had a strong local competition since 1922. By 1930, the local club had won a big junior competition. They kept asking to join Sydney's main league. Finally, on 24 September 1934, they were accepted!

A big reason they were accepted was finding a good home ground. The new club covered the areas of Bankstown and Canterbury. They joined the competition for the first time in 1935.

1935: First Season Challenges

Canterbury played its very first game on Anzac Day, 25 April 1935, against North Sydney. North Sydney won the match 20–5. The first points for Canterbury came from a try by Jack Hartwell Sr. and a penalty goal by Tom Carey.

The first Canterbury team was coached by Tedda Courtney. Their first season was tough. They didn't have a home ground and lost some games by huge scores. They lost 6–91 to St George and 7–87 to Eastern Suburbs. These are still two of the biggest losses in the league's history! The club avoided finishing last by beating the University team twice.

1936–1942: Early Victories

After a difficult first year, Canterbury was determined to improve. They bought new, talented players like fullback Tom Kirk and captain Alan Brady. With famous coach Frank Burge, the team improved from two wins in 1935 to nine wins in 1936, making it to the finals.

In 1938, the team, nicknamed the "Cantabs," had an amazing season, losing only one game. They won their first championship by beating Easts 19–6 in the final. Their strong front row, including Eddie Burns and Henry Porter, was key to their success. They also won the reserve grade premiership that year.

Canterbury reached the Grand Final again in 1940 but lost to Easts. In 1942, they finished first on the ladder with Balmain. Canterbury then beat Balmain 40–20 to secure the minor premiership. Even though they lost their semi-final, as minor premiers, they had a second chance in the Grand Final. They beat St George 11–9 in a close, wet game to win their second premiership!

1943–1966: A Quiet Period

After winning in 1942, the Bulldogs had a tough time. Many players, like Porter and Newham, were away fighting in World War II. This caused the team to finish last in the next two seasons. As players returned, the club got stronger, finishing third in 1946 and first in 1947. However, they lost the 1947 final to Balmain.

This period marked the end of their early success. Key players retired, and the club struggled to find new stars. Much of the club's money went into building their licensed club, which affected their ability to sign top players. For many years, the team didn't have many players chosen for the Australian or State teams.

In 1960, under coach Eddie Burns, they made it to the semi-finals but lost to Easts. The team struggled again for a few years. However, the arrival of talented fullback Les Johns brought new hope. In March 1962, the Berries won their first trophy since 1942, beating Western Suburbs in the Preseason Cup final.

1967: The "Intercept" Grand Final

In 1967, Kevin Ryan was the captain-coach. He led the team to beat his old club, St George, in the preliminary final. This ended St George's amazing run of eleven straight premierships!

Canterbury finished third in the regular season. They beat Easts and then St George to reach the Grand Final. They played against South Sydney in the final. This game is famous for Bob McCarthy's intercept try, which helped Souths win. It was a very close match, with Canterbury drawing level in the second half. Souths won with a penalty goal late in the game.

1968–1977: Rebuilding the Club

The years after 1967 were mixed for the team on the field. They had a dip in 1968-69 but made the semi-finals in 1970. More importantly, the club was getting stronger behind the scenes. This helped them become a powerful club for the next 30 years.

Canterbury made the semi-finals again in 1973. From then on, they made the semi-finals almost every year until the end of the decade, except for 1977 when many players were injured. In 1974, they finished third and made it to the Grand Final. However, they lost to the Roosters 19–4. This was their first Grand Final since 1967.

1978–1983: The Entertainers

Peter "Bullfrog" Moore was a key leader at the Canterbury club from 1970 to 1995. During his time, the team reached the very top. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, under coach Ted Glossop, Canterbury-Bankstown played an exciting and skillful style of football. They were known as The Entertainers. With brilliant halfback Steve Mortimer leading the way, the Bulldogs (as they were called from 1978) played a style of football that everyone admired.

The arrival of young Steve Mortimer and experienced Bob McCarthy in 1976 marked a new beginning. McCarthy's experience helped a new group of forwards like Steve Folkes and Graeme Hughes. In 1976, Canterbury nearly made the Grand Final, losing a close game to Manly.

In 1979, the Bulldogs made the finals again. Inspired by Mortimer and led by captain George Peponis, they beat Cronulla, Wests, and Parramatta to reach the Grand Final. Mortimer's amazing tries left fans in awe. St George won the Grand Final 17–13, but the Bulldogs showed great fight in the second half.

The 1980 season was a huge year. Canterbury played consistently and finished tied for first place. They beat Wests and Easts to reach the Grand Final. Easts were expected to win, but the Bulldogs' forwards outplayed them. Steve Mortimer was outstanding, and Canterbury won 18–4. Chris Anderson scored the first try. The Grand Final is also remembered for Steve Gearin's incredible performance. He kicked six goals and scored one of the greatest tries ever, catching a high kick in mid-air! This game was also famous because three Mortimer brothers and three Hughes brothers played in it.

After their premiership win, the Bulldogs didn't sign many new players. This led to them finishing tenth in 1981 and ninth in 1982. Even though they finished third in 1983, the gap between them and the top teams was huge. The club decided to change direction. Warren Ryan became the new coach, and the Bulldogs quickly changed from the Entertainers to the Enforcers.

1984–1989: "Wozzaball" Era

At the end of 1983, the club decided to rebuild. New coach Warren Ryan joined, along with many new players. Key signings included Terry Lamb, Brian Battese, Darryl Brohman, Mark Bugden, Phil Gould, Peter Kelly, and Peter Tunks. The team became known as the "Enforcers." Young fullback Mick Potter was named the best player (Dally M Player of the Year) in 1984. Canterbury-Bankstown finished first and then beat Parramatta twice, including in the 1984 Grand Final, to win the premiership.

Canterbury's success over the next five seasons came from a new, aggressive, and strong defensive style of play, sometimes called "Wozzaball." This style helped them win the 1984 Grand Final 6–4 against Parramatta.

In 1985, Canterbury won their last seven matches to finish third. They beat Balmain and then St George to win their second straight premiership, 7–6, in the Grand Final. Led by captain Steve Mortimer, Canterbury often kicked high "bombs" towards St George's try line. This even led to a rule change about catching the ball in the in-goal area.

In 1986, they finished third but lost the Grand Final 4–2 to Parramatta in a classic game with no tries scored.

Warren Ryan left Canterbury after the 1987 season. He had won two premierships for the club. Phil Gould took over as coach. In his first year, 1988, Canterbury won the Grand Final 24–12 against the Ryan-coached Balmain Tigers. This was the first Grand Final at the new Sydney Football Stadium. 1988 was also the last season for club legend Steve Mortimer. He retired with a club record 267 first-grade games. Mortimer captained the club to premierships in 1984 and 1985 and was part of the 1980 and 1988 winning teams.

1990–1999: The Chris Anderson Years

The "Wozzaball" era ended in 1989. Chris Anderson returned as coach in 1990 and rebuilt the team around another club great, Terry Lamb. Anderson made Lamb captain, which was a big decision at the time.

In 1991, the Bulldogs had good results, led by Lamb, with support from Ewan McGrady and Jonathan Davies. Young players like Darren Smith, Jarrod McCracken, and Dean Pay also emerged. In 1993, Canterbury won the Minor Premiership, but they lost in the finals to St George and Brisbane.

Goal-kicking star Daryl Halligan joined in 1994. He scored a club record 270 points that year. Darren Britt and Jason Smith became key players. Canterbury reached the Grand Final but lost to the Canberra Raiders 36–12.

The 1995 season was challenging due to the Super League War. Several key players announced they would leave the club. The team's form suffered, with some big losses. However, a huge 66–4 win against the North Queensland Cowboys helped them turn things around for the finals.

The Bulldogs then had an amazing finals run, beating St George, Brisbane, and Canberra. In the Grand Final, they faced the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Canterbury won 17–4, with Lamb leading the way. Future club captain Steve Price was one of the try-scorers in only his third first-grade game.

Terry Lamb retired after the 1995 season but played one more year in 1996. He was named captain of Canterbury's 'Greatest Ever Team' in 2004.

Another important era ended in 1995 with the retirement of Chief Executive Peter Moore. He had been in charge for 26 years and helped the Bulldogs become a rugby league powerhouse. Moore passed away in 2000. He oversaw five premierships and nine Grand Finals for Canterbury.

Super League War and Aftermath

During the Super League war, Canterbury rebranded as the "Sydney Bulldogs." The club was hit hard by the split in Australian rugby league. They lost five key players for the 1996 season, including Dean Pay and Jim Dymock. They finished 10th in the ARL Premiership.

In 1997, Canterbury played in the Super League competition. This was the first season without club legend Terry Lamb. The Bulldogs finished fifth. Coach Chris Anderson left the club at the end of 1997 to join the new Melbourne Storm. Reserve grade coach Steve Folkes took over as head coach.

The Super League and the ARL joined forces at the end of 1997 to create the National Rugby League. This meant Canterbury would play their old rivals like Parramatta and St George again.

The Bulldogs struggled in 1998 as they still felt the effects of the Super League War and Lamb's retirement. Darren Britt took over as captain mid-season, which sparked a comeback. Canterbury won their last four matches to sneak into ninth place in the "Top 10" finals format.

Before the finals, it was revealed that former Chief Executive Peter Moore was battling cancer. The Bulldogs were inspired by 'Bullfrog' and played with extra determination. They won their first two finals games away from home. Then, they came back from 16-0 down to beat the Newcastle Knights 28–16 in extra time.

The most famous semi-final was against their rivals Parramatta. Parramatta led 18–2 with only 11 minutes left! But Craig Polla-Mounter inspired an amazing comeback. Canterbury scored three tries in seven minutes to make it 18–16. Daryl Halligan kicked a sideline goal to tie the scores. Canterbury went on to win 32–20 in extra time!

The Brisbane Broncos won the Grand Final 38–12. The Super League War was soon forgotten as the club entered a new era under coach Steve Folkes.

The 1998 season was also the last for Belmore Sports Ground as the Bulldogs' home ground. This upset many loyal fans because the ground had so much history. Belmore was Canterbury's home for 547 matches between 1936 and 1998.

Despite some opposition, Canterbury moved to Stadium Australia for the 1999 season. They finished fifth in the regular season. However, they were defeated in the finals by the Melbourne Storm.

2000–2003: Salary Cap Challenges

After a disappointing 2000 season, many new players joined the club in 2001, including Nigel Vagana and Luke Patten. The Bulldogs finished second in the regular season but lost in the finals. Braith Anasta was named Rookie of the Year. For 2002, Mark O'Meley joined, and captain Darren Britt left. Steve Price became the new captain.

In 2002, the club faced big trouble. They were found to have broken the rules about how much money they could spend on players (the salary cap). The NRL fined them $500,000 and took away all 37 of their competition points. The club had been set to win the minor premiership and had won 17 games in a row. Instead, they finished last.

Club legend Steve Mortimer was brought in to help the club recover. In 2003, the Bulldogs had a great season, finishing just one game short of the Grand Final.

2005−2019: Ups and Downs

In 2005, the Bulldogs couldn't defend their title due to injuries and player contract issues. They missed the finals. In 2006, despite low expectations, their strong forward pack helped them reach the preliminary final, where they lost to the Brisbane Broncos.

The 2008 season was difficult. The Bulldogs finished last. The biggest news was the controversial departure of star player Sonny Bill Williams.

A big effort to sign new players helped Canterbury turn things around in 2009. They finished second and made it to the preliminary final. They lost to rivals Parramatta Eels in front of a huge crowd of 74,549 fans.

In 2012, Canterbury-Bankstown finished first on the ladder, winning their first minor premiership since 1994. They reached the Grand Final but lost to the Melbourne Storm 14–4.

In May 2013, Raelene Castle became the CEO, the first female CEO in NRL history. The team finished sixth and lost in the semi-finals. In 2014, Canterbury made history by winning three games in a row by just one point! They finished as runners-up in the Grand Final, losing to South Sydney.

In September 2017, former premiership-winning player Dean Pay was announced as the new coach for 2018. Pay's time as coach ended during the 2020 season.

The 2018 season started poorly, with only 3 wins from their first 10 games. The club announced they couldn't sign major new players until 2021 due to salary cap problems from the previous administration. This meant they had to let go of players like Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods.

On 20 July 2018, Canterbury played Parramatta in a game nicknamed the "Spoon Bowl" because both teams were at the bottom of the ladder. Parramatta won 14–8. After this loss, Canterbury was in danger of finishing last. However, they pulled off upset wins against the Wests Tigers, Brisbane Broncos, and St George Illawarra Dragons to finish 12th.

The lower grades had more success in 2018. The club won the Intrust Super Premiership and the NRL State Championship.

In 2019, Canterbury started poorly, losing their first two games. Coach Dean Pay was given a contract extension. By mid-season, they were last. But for the third year in a row, Canterbury had a strong finish. They won four upset victories in a row against teams fighting for finals spots. Pay was praised for improving the team's defense.

2020−Present: A New Decade Begins

On 14 July 2020, Dean Pay resigned as head coach. Steve Georgallis became the interim coach. The club then announced that Phil Gould would be their general manager, hoping he would help the club improve. On 22 July, Trent Barrett was signed as the new head coach for three years. Canterbury finished the 2020 NRL season in 15th place after a tough year.

Canterbury started the 2021 NRL season very poorly, losing their first three games and not scoring any points in two of them. This was a first for the club. In round 4, they lost 38-0 to South Sydney. This meant they were only the second team in the NRL era to lose three straight games without scoring a point. It was also the worst start to a season by any team since Glebe in 1928. Canterbury had one of their worst years ever, winning only 3 games and receiving the club's sixth wooden spoon (finishing last).

Canterbury started the 2022 NRL season with a win but then lost their next six games, including a 44-0 defeat. After a 16-6 loss in round 10, coach Trent Barrett stepped down on 16 May. Michael Potter was announced as the interim coach. Potter had a better run, winning five of the remaining 14 games, including a big upset victory over Parramatta (34-4). Canterbury finished the 2022 season in 12th place. On 14 August, Canterbury announced they had signed Penrith assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo on a five-year deal, starting in 2023.

Canterbury started the 2023 season with a loss but bounced back with a surprising 26–12 win against the Melbourne Storm in round 2. This was their first win against Melbourne since 2016.

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