Folkes: Bought Bulldogs don't have the bite
Daniel Lane
June 21, 2011
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ONE of Canterbury's great stalwarts, Steve Folkes, now a member of the Wests Tigers coaching staff, has questioned whether the new-look Bulldogs could tap into the club's famed besieged mentality as Kevin Moore's future was being dissected in the media.
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Traditionally, the Bulldogs are at their most dangerous in troubled times, and the Tigers play Canterbury at Campbelltown on Friday in a match that's crucial for both teams, who are locked on 16 premiership points and desperate to consolidate their place in the top eight.
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But Folkes, who is Moore's brother-in-law and who also coached Canterbury to the 2004 premiership title, wondered whether the club's flood of newcomers had diluted the old ''us against the world'' attitude.
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''It depends how they feel because when confidence isn't good it seems to continue [to drop],'' he said, before adding that he'd had nothing to do with the Bulldogs since the end of 2008.
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''There's been a lot of [negative] talk in the paper but it's not like the old days because most of those guys don't have a hell of a lot invested in the club [yet]. They've only been there for a year or two. Andrew Ryan has been there for a long time but there's only a couple of juniors.
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''Traditionally, Canterbury has had a lot of kids come up [together] through the grades but they've bought a lot of blokes in from elsewhere and sometimes they don't gel [as they would] if they were locals.''
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After finishing last season in 13th place, the Bulldogs embarked upon a recruitment spree. Among their number were top-liners including halfback Trent Hodkinson from Manly, Kiwi and Penrith Test forward Frank Pritchard, Melbourne prop Aiden Tolman and Parramatta half Kris Keating.
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Folkes didn't want to comment on Moore's future except to say pressure was part of every NRL coach's lot.
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The Herald understands Moore, who is contracted until the end of 2012, will see the season out but would have his position reviewed once the current season ends.
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Moore did not want to react to the speculation when contacted last night but insisted he and his players were committed to success.
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''My only take on things at the moment is we have our heads down and we're doing everything we can to get out of it,'' he said.
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Another Bulldogs great, Steve Mortimer, gave an insight into the pressure Moore was under for heading a ''bought'' team.
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''The players have to perform,'' Mortimer said. ''I feel for Kevin Moore and I feel for the players, but they can have a say in their future.
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'Teams go through these cycles, but what frustrates me is we bought all these good players and we're seeing a champion team will beat a team of champions. We have a team of great players but they're not working together and I don't know what the reasons for that are.''
Daniel Lane
June 21, 2011
\
\
ONE of Canterbury's great stalwarts, Steve Folkes, now a member of the Wests Tigers coaching staff, has questioned whether the new-look Bulldogs could tap into the club's famed besieged mentality as Kevin Moore's future was being dissected in the media.
>
Traditionally, the Bulldogs are at their most dangerous in troubled times, and the Tigers play Canterbury at Campbelltown on Friday in a match that's crucial for both teams, who are locked on 16 premiership points and desperate to consolidate their place in the top eight.
>
But Folkes, who is Moore's brother-in-law and who also coached Canterbury to the 2004 premiership title, wondered whether the club's flood of newcomers had diluted the old ''us against the world'' attitude.
Advertisement: Story continues below
>
''It depends how they feel because when confidence isn't good it seems to continue [to drop],'' he said, before adding that he'd had nothing to do with the Bulldogs since the end of 2008.
>
''There's been a lot of [negative] talk in the paper but it's not like the old days because most of those guys don't have a hell of a lot invested in the club [yet]. They've only been there for a year or two. Andrew Ryan has been there for a long time but there's only a couple of juniors.
>
''Traditionally, Canterbury has had a lot of kids come up [together] through the grades but they've bought a lot of blokes in from elsewhere and sometimes they don't gel [as they would] if they were locals.''
>
After finishing last season in 13th place, the Bulldogs embarked upon a recruitment spree. Among their number were top-liners including halfback Trent Hodkinson from Manly, Kiwi and Penrith Test forward Frank Pritchard, Melbourne prop Aiden Tolman and Parramatta half Kris Keating.
>
Folkes didn't want to comment on Moore's future except to say pressure was part of every NRL coach's lot.
>
The Herald understands Moore, who is contracted until the end of 2012, will see the season out but would have his position reviewed once the current season ends.
>
Moore did not want to react to the speculation when contacted last night but insisted he and his players were committed to success.
>
''My only take on things at the moment is we have our heads down and we're doing everything we can to get out of it,'' he said.
>
Another Bulldogs great, Steve Mortimer, gave an insight into the pressure Moore was under for heading a ''bought'' team.
>
''The players have to perform,'' Mortimer said. ''I feel for Kevin Moore and I feel for the players, but they can have a say in their future.
>
'Teams go through these cycles, but what frustrates me is we bought all these good players and we're seeing a champion team will beat a team of champions. We have a team of great players but they're not working together and I don't know what the reasons for that are.''
