Since their inception in the competition in 1935, the Belmore based club who were formerly known as “The Berries” have been a pioneer in professionalism and toughness in Rugby League. The way the club has played on the field has seen them bestowed with nicknames such as the Entertainers and The Dogs of War, demonstrating the club’s ability to adapt to different styles of the way the game is played in order to achieve success. The Bulldogs have also been renowned for their family culture off the field, spawning the label “The Family Club”, a tag that many people to have been associated with the Canterbury-Bankstown organisation are most proud of.
The Bulldogs have won 8 premierships in their existence, two of which came within 7 years of inception. The club had to wait alot longer for their next taste of success, winning their third premiership in 1980. This win kickstarted a golden era for the club, as they won three more Grand Finals that decade to become one of the most glorified teams in the game’s history.
In 2002, the Bulldogs would face their toughest challenge. After being outright leaders of the competition, the NRL found the Bulldogs guilty of cheating the salary cap and revoked all Premiership points from the team for that season. At the beginning of 2004 the Bulldogs would again face adversity, forcing to defend criminal allegations brought on several of the club’s players. After eventually being found innocent of the charges, the Bulldogs would rally to win their eighth Premiership at the end of the 2004 season, proving the resilience of the club.
The Canterbury-Bankstown fans are known to be among some of the most passionate fans in the competition. After losing two Grand Finals since the 2004 triumph, “The Kennel” will be aching for Premiership success sooner rather than later.
