Peter ‘Bullfrog’ Moore was one of the most outstanding sporting administrators of all time, so it surprised no one when Lynne Anderson, one of his nine children, led a reform ticket at the Bulldogs to almost wipe out the incumbent board of directors.
Bullfrog, a Belmore newsagent at the time, began his 26-year reign in 1969 and netted 20 years of rugby league finals, five premierships, and four losing grand finals.
The secret to his success was setting up a culture of a family club – literally.
The perfect example was the 1980 premiership-winning side of Greg Brentnall, Chris Anderson, Chris Mortimer, Peter Mortimer, Steve Gearin, Garry Hughes, Steve Mortimer, Mark Hughes, Steve Folkes, Graeme Hughes, Geoff Robinson, George Peponis (c), and John Coveny.
Known as ‘The Entertainers’, Anderson and Folkes married Bullfrog’s daughters Lynne and Karen, the three Hughes brothers were Bullfrog’s nephews, and the family culture was enhanced by three Mortimer brothers.
Between them, they played 1530 games for the club, with Anderson and Folkes going on to coach the Bulldogs to premierships.
Club members didn’t have to be related to Bullfrog to be part of the family, the culture was all-embracing. But there have been lean times at Belmore in recent years, with the culture lost in the telling.
Until last Sunday.
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In a bitterly fought AGM, Lynne Anderson promised a return to the family culture to top the votes.
And with a track record of being caught up in the Bulldog culture from the moment she could walk, Lynne is the new chair.
On the reform ticket were her husband, Chris Anderson, long-term Bulldogs Steve Price, Paul Dunn, and the only survivor of the past board Steve Mortimer, with 824 Bulldog games between them. There’s also dual international John Ballesty, who as general manager of the Canterbury Leagues Club turned it from near insolvency in 1982 into one of Australia’s most financially successful clubs, and life-long Belmore tragic John Khoury, who brings vast corporate experience.
That’s the off-field leadership, with Dean Pay – who played 108 games in blue and white – the on-field leader as coach.
There are so many positives in the new regime, but there are major questions still to be answered.
The most vital will be Kieran Foran’s attitude, and availability.
Having played the last of his 147 games for Manly in 2015, Foran only played nine for Parramatta in 2016, and 17 for the Warriors last season. As one of the new signings, four clubs in as many years hardly conjures up stability, nor loyalty.
On the other side of the coin, the previous board punted Josh Reynolds to the Wests Tigers, and James Graham to the Dragons, when both were club and fan faithfuls.
And the sloppy sacking of coach Des Hasler remains undecided in a $2 million damages claim yet to be heard in court.
But the vast majority of evidence strongly suggests board, led by Lynne Anderson, and the on-field team led by Dean Pay will put the bite back in the Bulldogs.
Big Daddy
Guest
It appears Canterbury aren't the only ones who have problems. Our old friend from parramatta has been publicly recommending that another ex director from parramatta not be allowed to run for NSWRL board. Jeez some of these blokes hold grudges.
Big Daddy
Guest
Looks like dib and others are going to stand for leagues club board. Funs not over yet.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yep, you have no idea. Organisational culture isn’t limited to footy clubs. Pretty much every organisation in the world is trying to create a culture that differentiates it from its competition.
The Barry
Roar Guru
9 years is better than 43 years...
The Barry
Roar Guru
One day someone will write an article that you can’t link to some injustice that’s been done to Souths... I’ll fall off my chair when it happens
3_Hats SSTID 2014
Roar Rookie
Their Board may be settled now but they still have plenty of back-ended contracts to deal with. Des's legacy won't be corrected overnight, there is still the settlement to deal with. Paul Dunn couldn't run a chook raffle, he has hired by Souths but took the payday without fixing anything at all, he actually made the club worse but it was a tough gig though in those days. Anything on Paul Langmack? Is he going back into the fold also? What about the Hughes side of the family club, any olive branches there? Mark and Garry Hughes were treated unfairly, I am led to believe! Is the new board also going to fix this mess? http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/hughes-family-divorces-bulldogs/2009/03/26/1237657074189.html In 2009 the Bulldogs wanted to return to the old days, the so-called family club. Well here we are in 2018 some 9 years later and the same crap is being peddled.
Greg Ambrose
Guest
In my time watching league the Dogs have been at one time the Entertainers at another time the Dogs of war and for a lot of time the family club. The so called culture, changes as time moves on. I'd suggest Hasler not getting the culture is largely irrelevant in his tenure. He led them to a couple of GF's despite not getting the culture it seems in the early days. Problem was more a combination of recruitment and a flawed coaching philosophy which developed and deteriorated over time. Many were the Eagles of war under Hasler and he was a logical choice. The existence of culture or not isn't so much the issue to me it's the way a lot of fans have latched onto the word and decided that it is the most important factor. Out Manly way some of the talk about culture is embarrassing. Apparently a poor year in 16 was nothing to do with carrying ageing and injured stars, an injury disrupted season in general , some weakness and inexperience in the roster and some fun and games in head office but that a coach from outside didn't get the culture. Apparently when we had some good wins in 17 the coach magically got the culture and it's that simple according to some. If Foran plays to his potential and the Dogs have a good year then ironically it will be a Hasler signing ( Foran I guess ) who leads the way and strengthens the culture angle.
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
You'll see Dustby,you'll see!
jimmmy
Guest
I just want the Dogs to play a decent brand of footy. They were one of my favourite teams to watch over many years but last year I seriously could not watch them play a full game. Hassler needed to go . I just hope Pay gives his attacking players a bit of license to try things. Haslers micro-management style strangled the Dogs last year.
jeff dustby
Guest
Culture is a word used by clubs to try and differentiate themselves from others when really they are just the same Fans like you lap it up
jeff dustby
Guest
Make the bulldogs great again !
jeff dustby
Guest
Yeah, -actually no
Nat
Roar Guru
The one positive of a dispassionate administrator is the succession plan they will leave behind. A clear set of protocols that can be supported and built upon by passionate club people. A win win.
Big Daddy
Guest
It looks as though peter Moore's business acumen has rubbed off on his daughter and I am sure she will do a very good job. But I am not sure wether some of the others can offer that. Nepotism can be a bad thing if not used for the right reason. Steve Mortimer seems to be type that will jump into anybody's bed to get a seat on the board. Too many personal agendas and power struggles seems to be the reason not only at Canterbury but at every club and also at state level. Ray dib still keeps his NSWRL board as some has decided not to stand.????
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don’t know enough about their backgrounds to comment with authority but I get what you’re saying. I’m not sure about Chris Anderson but the rest all have business experience so if they can bring passion as well as smarts, that can work ok. Things in business tend to work in cycles and the Dogs have gone for the dispassionate, neutral administrators for a while. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to bring it back ‘in house’ for a while. Heart over head decision making is not good, but passion is not necessarily bad.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm still trying to work out how "Lynn Anderson and Dean Pay to put bite back into Bulldogs" will occur when the only thing they said they'll do is bring back the family culture? Good luck doing that seeing neither the Bulldogs or any other Club has come remotely close to duplicating the same "culture" in the past 30 years. Why not create a brand new one that can be built on solid fundamentals; ie good communication, trust and support, etc. The Doggies will go nowhere if they keep trying to reinvent the past.
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
Foran will kill it this year & the Doggies will be playing finals again.
BA Sports
Guest
The siblings bit made me laugh... Baz, Are you worried about the balance of the Board? 4 ex-players; granted a couple have been involved in business since their playing days? Too many ex-players on a Board can be a problem and while i admit i know nothing of the other two (though i wouldn't have thought coming up with the idea for more poker machines and longer trading hours at the Leagues Club was that difficult a business plan), but if they are tragic Bulldogs fans, it can still lead to too many decisions with hearts instead of heads. I think good balance on a Board needs a person completely removed from the club with good business acumen - to provide that counter opinion that doesn't have emotion attached to it. Like you say, I guess we wait and see..
The Barry
Roar Guru
Culture isn’t magical Jeff. If you re-create the values and behaviours of 30 years ago and get the players to buy in to the values and demonstrate the behaviours through their decision making then bang, the culture is re-created. Part of a strong culture is that feeling that you’re part of something bigger, hence the references to 30 years ago. It really is that simple. If it seems magical to you it’s probably a good indicator that you don’t really understand organisational culture. Cavemen thought lightning was magic...
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
"Lynne Anderson, one of [Moore's] nine siblings" Sigh...