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The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs entered the NSWRFL competition in 1935 and would become the most successful expansion team for over 60 years.
In 1938 in only their fourth season the Bulldogs would win their first premiership making the record for quickest time for an expansion team to win a title.
This amazing record would stand for over 60 years until the Melbourne Storm would slash the record in half by wining their first title in only their second season in 1999.
Here are their best ever.
10. Edgar Newham
Joining the club in 1938, the 24-year-old end up playing nine seasons and play in four grand finals, wining two (1938, 1942).
In the 1942 season, in the game to determine the minor premiership against Balmain, Newham would score five tries alone, this being a record that would stand for 60 years until it was equalised in 2002.
It is still yet to be broken. He would play two Tests for Australia in 1946 and be the oldest player to ever debut for Australia at 32 years of age.
9. Eddie Burns
One of the original members of the club, Burns would debut with the club in 1935 upon their inclusion to the NSWRFL competition. It would prove fruitful as in 1938 as he would play in the club’s first grand final appearance and victory over the Roosters.
8. Steve Price
Price was the last man to captain the Bulldogs to a premiership-winning season. Although Andrew Ryan would actually lead the men on the field due to Price’s injury prior to the 2004 grand final, Price is the man that lead them all season.
Coming to the club in 1994 he would be apart of the 1995 grand final side that defeated Manly. For his 222 games at the club, he would play 28 Origins for Queensland and 16 Tests for Australia and be the transitional leader of the forward pack between the Webcke and Scott years. He is truly one of the club’s last great players.
7. George Peponis
Peponis would captain the Bulldogs to two grand finals, the 1979 loss to St George and the 1980 win over the Roosters.
In 1976 he would debut for New South Wales and play seven games until 1980. In 1979 after the playing retirement of Bob Fulton he took over as state captain of New South Wales and that same year was selected as Kangaroo captain for the domestic Ashes series against Great Britain.
Australia’s fitness and skill dominance over Great Britain began to show in this series which was a three-nill drubbing of the locals.
After leading Australia to victory in two Tests in the 1980 tour of New Zealand, Peponis attained the career record of captaining Australia on five successive occasions to a clean record of five wins.
6. Mick Potter
Only playing six seasons with the club he would play in the back to back 1984-85 premiership-winning seasons and be the first of only two men from the club to win the Dally M Medal for player of the year (the other being Ben Barba in 2012).
He was the first fullback to win the award. With his 80 games for the club he would have one opportunity to play with NSW in 1984.
5. Darryl Halligan
New Zealand-born Halligan would join the Bulldogs in 1994 after leaving the North Sydney Bears. He would be part of the 1995 grand final-winning side and become the highest points scorer at the club and the first man to ever reach 2000 points.
His goal kicking percentage was one the highest with an 80 per cent success rate. A pioneer of the game he would change the game by becoming the first man change from the mound of dirt to the plastic kicking tee and revolutionise the sport forever.
He would play 20 Tests for his native New Zealand and retire in 2000 with a record 2034 career points to his name.
4. Hazem El Masri
El Masri, widely regarded as the greatest goalkicker ever seen on a rugby league field, by scoring the most points (2418) by any player in NRL history.
Coming to the club 1996 El Masri would not only become the highest points scorer with the club and in the NRL but the most capped player as well with 317 games for the Bulldogs.
El Masri broke the NRL point scoring record for a single season with 342 points (16 tries and 139 goals) in the 2004 season.
He was apart of the premiership-winning team that year. In 2009 El Masri would break the all-time points record and games record for the club in a matter of months. His current points record sits at 2418 points in 317 games (159 tries, 891/1087 goals at 81.97%)
3. Steve Folkes
Legend of the club both on and off the field, Folkes would win premierships with the club as both a player and a coach.
As a player, Folkes played in six grand finals (1979, 80, 84, 85, 86 and 88) winning on four occasions (80, 84, 85 and 88).
Folkes would also lead the club to victory as the head coach of the 2004 premiership-winning team keeping the tradition of ever single coach since 1978 (Ted Glossop, Warren Ryan, Phil Gould, Chris Anderson and himself).
He would be the last man to coach a side to victory, Folkes would have two stints at the club for a total of 245 games and make nine appearances for NSW and five Tests for Australia.
2. Steve Mortimer
Of all the Mortimer brothers to play at the club Steve was the most successful. He captained the club to the 1984 and 1985 grand final victories as well as playing a part of the 1980 game to retire a winner in the 1988 premiership.
In 1985 Mortimer would be the first man top captain NSW to their first series win over Queensland. This would start the real war between the two sides as Queensland had dominated the four years previous. He would play nine games each for NSW and Australia.
Honourable mentions, Chris Mortimer, Paul Langmack (the youngest man to reach 100 career games), Jim Dymock (1995 Clive Churchill Medallist) David Gillespie, Chris Anderson (premiership winner as player and coach) Paul Dunn (1988 Clive Churchill Medallist) and Ben Barba (2012 Dally M Medallist)
1. Terry Lamb
No doubt that Lamb is the greatest Bulldog ever as his accolades speak for themselves. Over his somewhat debated 349-game career (though some believe that it is 350) Lamb would acquire three premierships, (1984, 88 and captain for 1995) and a Dally M Medal in 1983 (playing for the Magpies).
Along with a number of other individual accolades, he is currently second for most NRL games, 1442 career points, OAM recipient. That is pretty damn impressive.
Do you agree with my list? Who is your favourite Bulldogs player?
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