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The events of Good Friday would never have happened on Peter Moore’s watch.
Nicknamed ‘Bullfrog’, Moore was CEO of Canterbury-Bankstown rugby league from 1969 to 1995 where he installed a family culture in the club.
His players were an extension of his nine kids. Long-term Bulldogs Chris Anderson and Steve Folkes married two of Bullfrog’s daughters, and both went on to coach the Bulldogs.
A son Kevin Moore was a first grade half-back who became the first grade coach.
And the family culture was further enhanced by three Mortimer brothers – Steve, Chris, and Peter, matched by three Hughes brothers – Garry, Mark, and Graeme.
During Bullfrog’s watch the Bulldogs won five premierships – 1980 against St George, 1984 (Parramata), 1985 (St George), 1988 (Balmain), and 1995 against Manly.
Furthermore, they reached four grand finals that they did not win – 1974 against Easts, 1979 (St George), 1986 (Parramatta), and 1994 against Canberra.
The culture of the club was always the same, play their football hard and entertaining, but remember to be fair and clean.
And the fans embraced the culture, making the Bulldogs always a team to beat.
The current culture at Belmore has lost the Bullfrog stamp, and only Des Hasler can get it back in a hurry before the NRL steps in with a heavy hand against the club and the fans.
Skipper James Graham, David Klemmer, Sam Kasiano, Frank Pritchard, Aiden Tolman and Josh Reynolds tread a very fine line between being very tough uncompromising footballers, and thugs.
And the way they behave on the field will dictate how the fans react. If the fans are given the indication by their heroes the Bulldogs have been dudded by officialdom, they will react accordingly.
That’s what passion and the nature of the beast demand.
As it sits post Good Friday, Graham and Klemmer could be cited for abusing the referee. Klemmer copped a yellow card, Kasiano somehow escaped being reported for going into tackling Issac Luke behind two knees, but in the same play Josh Morris was reported for lashing out with his boot to Luke’s head.
Luke was in Disneyland. Had Bullfrog been in the stands, he would have exploded.
Des Hasler attempted to defuse the fans’ reaction post game by saying that’s not what we are about as a club.
That’s not enough Dessie.
He’s the only Bulldog official who can return the Bulldogs to the culture of old.
And he’d better be quick about it, before the NRL suspends his key players. They could dock the club competition points if the events of Good Friday are repeated.
The club culture starts and finishes with the contracted Bulldogs.
And Des Hasler is the boss of all of them.