By Andrew Webster
Earlier this month, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced Canterbury Bankstown would receive a $43 million centre of excellence to be built on the Terry Lamb Hill at Belmore Sportsground.
The three-storey, state-of-the-art, gender-equal building will house the Bulldogs’ NRL and NRLW teams while also providing amenities for community teams and clubs. There’s also a new LED scoreboard.
A cynical view is this was approved because Minns is an ardent Bulldogs fan. A more realistic one is the facility isn’t just overdue, but reward for the professional way the club has turned itself around.
On 6pm news reports about the Minns announcement, footage was shown of the glory days at Belmore when the hill was heaving with home fans, the necks of the people at the very top straining to see the action.
The hill was named after Terry Lamb in 1993, by which stage he was a legend, arguably the greatest Dog of all alongside Steve Mortimer.
Tough, talented, rule-bending players like “Baa” and “Turvey” typified the Bulldogs’ way and they changed the game: Ted Glossop’s players were “The Entertainers”, claiming the 1980 premiership with iconic, attacking footy. Under Warren Ryan, they became pitbulls; a relentless machine that went back-to-back in 1984-85 before a narrow loss in the decider against Parramatta the following year.
When Lamb led the Bulldogs to a grand final win against Manly in 1995 — in supposedly his final match before a brief comeback the following season — it cemented the club’s status as a rugby league superpower. A premiership in 2004 underlined the point.
That’s why it’s been so weird to witness the ups and downs since, including the last decade or so of severe dysfunction.
The rapid turnaround under general manager of footy Phil Gould, major sponsor Arthur Laundy, chief executive Aaron Warburton, and coach Cameron Ciraldo has been there for all to see.
They head into the Good Friday blockbuster against South Sydney undefeated atop the ladder, playing the same uncompromising footy for which the Dogs have long been known.
The Rabbitohs will do it tough because of injury, although I’m excited to watch the makeshift halves combo of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.
Anything can happen in this fixture and it usually does, this time set afire by a whopping crowd of 70,000 fans.
Regardless of whether the Bulldogs win, you suspect the streets of Belmore will be alive, content in the knowledge their side is well and truly back in the game.
And another thing …
The Lachlan Galvin situation at the Wests Tigers is unfortunate for all involved, none more the kid himself.
We won’t add further fuel to the fire here, only to say we should remember he’s a 19-year-old kid who doesn’t deserve to be pilloried for a career decision.
Tigers management, teammates, and of course fans have every right to feel angry and betrayed, but he doesn’t deserve some of the bullying — especially online — that’s occurred.
