Twenty years have passed since the Bulldogs’ previous premiership.
Twenty years have passed since Andrew Ryan’s tackle that saved the premiership and Hazem El Masri’s game-winning try.
And it feels like a lifetime ago that wounded captain Steve Price received his premiership ring from a baby-faced Jonathan Thurston.
Those were the good old days. The always dependable Luke Patten at the back, “Big Willie” Mason and Mark O’Meley among the forwards, Brent “Shifty” Sherwin and Braith Anasta in the halves, and of course “El Magic” and the potent Matt Utai on the wings.
It just took a little longer than anticipated to get there, but this was a remarkable squad meant for great things.
Anasta remarked on the 2004 Grand Final to foxsports.com.au, “We had such a weird few years before it.”
We knew we should have won a comp after pounding on the door for so long, but we had the salary cup things.
“We just felt relieved to be here and have a chance to win because we thought we ought to have done so sooner.”
In 2002, the Bulldogs won 17 straight games. They were the strongest team in the competition and, had the club not collapsed, they probably would have been there on the day of the grand final.
