General THE DOG FILES

[*Kimmy*_old]

For those that have a soft spot for the Doggies...ffs i know there are some >=) .. Here is a thread with interview things with them..from the Canterbury Bankstown Express. I have a few to catch up on..so I'll post them up now!!

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: ADAM PERRY
TUESDAY, 25TH JULY, 2006

"Faithful Perry Walks the Bulldogs Line"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

AS a 10-year veteran of the Bulldogs club, Adam Perry is definitely one who walks the line.

As if drawing inspiration from the Johnny Cash classic - he admits playing it a lot on his car stereo - the 27-year-old they call Nugget has had the heart of a Bulldog since moving from his junior club at Junee.

"The Bulldogs have been a massive part of my life - everyone here is like a second family," he said.
"I've been here so long and know everyone so well, and it has been such a comfortable fit for me."

The Bulldogs hooker said that now he is one of the senior players, he tries to be a positive influence on the field for the younger blokes. He said he steers clear of pre-game routines.

"I used to be fairly strict but it was driving me mad there for a while," he said.
"I went through a period of doing the exact opposite and made sure I didn't do anything the same as the week before, and that became a superstition of its own. Now I just try and relax and be fairly casual before a game."

He said that he has a massive DVD and CD collection which he enjoys when he's not on the field. He is also learning to play electric guitar and didgeridoo.

"My prize DVD would have to be Anchorman - it's got to be the funniest movie I've ever seen and I've seen it probably a dozen times," he said.
"My brother loves heavy metal and so I listen to plenty of that, but I have Johnny Cash in my CD player at the moment. So I listen to pretty much everything in between. The boys here listen to a lot of rap, so I don't mind listening to that as well."

Next week in The Dogs Files: Matt Utai

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: ANDREW RYAN
"Bobcat a True Dog"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

HE'S a Bobcat with the heart of a Bulldog - and it has taken the heart of a bulldog to put in the performances that captain Andrew Ryan has given since being omitted from the Blues State of Origin team for the third game two weeks ago.

Since then, Ryan has produced two of the best games of his career, proving the selectors don't always get it right.

The 26-year old second-rower said his nickname came from when he was playing in the lower grades for Parramatta.

"We were watching a tape of the game and someone yelled out I looked like a bobcat - and it stuck ever since," he said.

"I was fat and round and slow.''

Ryan said as a captain he puts a lot of faith in the ability of those around him.

"Everyone gets on really well here, so no-one feels they are above anyone - we are all equal here," he said.

"I lead by example at training but I'm pretty laid-back, I suppose."

Lead by example he does, with four tries, 502 tackles, 183 hitups and 1444m gained in 16 games this year a heavy workload indeed.

His career has been bookended by the quest for premiership victory - with Ryan rating the Bulldogs' grand final victory in 2004 as his career highlight - but the Eels' grand final loss to the Knights in 2001 as the game he most wants to forget.

Before every game he goes for a quiet walk and a stretch to prepare him for the day ahead.

Outside league, he enjoys a few beers with friends and family - and also a round of golf when possible.

Next week in The Dogs Files: Adam Perry.

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: CAMERON PHELPS

"One That Got Away Haunts"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express


PHELPSY just loves pulling on his blue-and-white jersey.

Cameron Phelps is a lifelong Bulldogs supporter. Playing centre for his team is a dream come true for the 22-year-old. He also gets to be trained by one of his childhood idols.

"I always watched Terry Lamb as a kid - he was a bit of a gun and I've always followed the Bulldogs and he would have been one of my favourites," he said.

"I just love hanging out with the boys, they're a great bunch of blokes and we just get on really well."

Despite his four tries in 24 matches, it is the one that got away last year that haunts him.

"It was a bad one - the try that I had disallowed against Souths during golden point extra time," he said.

"We ended up with a draw - but the four points would have won us the game.'"

He was ruled to have been offside when he got the ball.

He said he has a small pre-game superstition that he observes every weekend.

"I put my mouthguard in my right sock before the game," he said. When the footy season ends, Phelps pads up to play cricket for Bankstown and boasts a top score of 131 runs.

Next week in the Dogs Files: Andrew Ryan

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: BRENT SHERWIN

"Shifty's Dream Clears"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

BRENT "Shifty" Sherwin has been living the dream these last seven years, playing for his beloved Bulldogs. However, those dreams turned suddenly murky earlier this year, as speculation mounted that the 28-year-old was out of favour and on the outer with his club.

Now having signed a new two-year deal with the Dogs, Sherwin has revealed the pain that he went through, and how he is still keeping the dream alive.

"I followed them since I was a young kid and I've got to play for them, so I've been living the dream ever since," he said.

"The speculation affected me a little bit because everyone kept talking about it," he said.

"Folksey and the club all reassured me that I'm not going anywhere and they were happy to keep me. I just tried to focus on that and focus on the game."

He said he has been just as critical of his own performance as his critics had been, but is confident he his hitting form at the right time of the season.

"I've been getting better and better each week and hopefully I will hit my straps around semi-final time," he said.

He said off the field he enjoys a round of golf and a barbecue with his mates and spending time with his family.

Next week in The Dogs Files: Dallas McIlwain

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: ANDREW EMELIO

"Team Akin to a Family"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

BULLDOGS centre Andrew Emelio compares the club to a family. So it is no surprise that last week the 24 year old decided to re-sign with the club for a further two years.

"The Bulldogs Club has been like my second home and I'm both relieved and excited to be playing with the boys for a few more years," he said.

He said he followed the club as far back as he could remember, but it wasn't where he began his career.

"My best memory [of football] would be my debut. I debuted for the Sharks but I wish I debuted here," he said.

He said he also treasured the four premierships he won for the Bulldogs in the lower grades - 1999, 2000, 2001 in the Jersey Flegg competition, and 2002 in Premier League.

Before coming to the Bulldogs, he also spent a year playing for British Club Widnes Vikings before joining his blue-and-white family.

His real family is also very important to him, and off the field he tries to spend us much time with his four-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

Emelio said he was confident the Dogs will continue their winning ways in to the finals, and rates Knights captain Andrew Johns, a likely finals competitor, as the man he holds the most respect for.

"When we come up against Newcastle, I know it's a big game because Andrew Johns gets the ball all over the field," he said.

Next week in The Dogs Files: Brent Sherwin

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: WILLIE TONGA
"Tonga in the game"
David Catt
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

BULLDOGS strike centre Willie Tonga has issued a dire warning to rival clubs on the eve of the finals.

Plagued with a checkered run of injuries to his knee in the past few seasons, Tonga told The Express that he is now pain free and ready to help the Dogs to another premiership.

"It's going good. I can't feel my knee at all, which is a positive thing,'' he said about his recovery from injury.
It's good news for the Bulldogs, but bad news for the other clubs jostling for a place in the grand final in October, as Tonga has already scored eight tries in 15 games this year.

Tonga said he rated Melbourne as the team to beat, but held the most respect for Brisbane Broncos captain Darren Lockyer - two opponents he is likely to face in the coming weeks.

He said the loyalty the club has shown him through his injury-riddled three seasons was one of the reasons he decided a few weeks ago to stay with the club for another two seasons.

"We're an experienced team and we are playing well at the moment,'' Tonga said.

"We have a young group of guys that are here for a long time, so that was also a big part of my decision.''

He said that he spends a lot of time off the field with his team-mates as well.

"Most of us boys live down in the Shire near Cronulla, so us boys usually catch up and play a bit of basketball, go to the movies, play cards or whatever,'' he said.

One thing he doesn't see eye-to-eye with his team-mates is in their choice of music.
"I'm big on R'n'B,'' he said.
"A lot of the boys are into 50 cent and gangsta rap, but I'm into the slow stuff.''

Next week in The Dogs Files: Andrew Emilio

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: RENI MAITUA
"Marks of Success"
David Catt
Canterbury Bankstown Express

IF the Bulldogs win this year's premiership, utility Reni Maitua will be scheduling another round of body art.

When the Dogs triumphed in 2004, Maitua and a bunch of teammates hit the local tattoo parlour. They had the Bulldogs emblem and "Premiers 2004" permanently drawn on their bodies.

"Most of us have tattoos on our bodies, so [the grand final] is something that I will never forget - definitely something I will cherish forever," he said.

"I left a bit of room for '06 hopefully. I don't want to jinx anything yet - but hopefully we can wrap it up again this year."

Maitua has been a fan favourite and icon of the NRL since his debut against the Parramatta Eels in round one 2004 - but not necessarily for all the reasons he would like. It was the day he was branded with his nickname - Tooty.

"I think it was one of my first first grade games and it was a Channel Nine game and [commentator] Ray Warren kept getting my name wrong, calling me Matooey and Tooey - and it just sort of started from there," he said.

When not on the league field, Maitua loves to strap a board to his feet and go for a ride - including surfing and snowboarding - which is exactly what he did during the Dogs' bye round last week.

"I used go to the snow all the time. I hadn't been down there for a few years since I've been playing first grade - it's good to get back in to snowboarding," he said.

"I've [also] been surfing since I was 10 years old - and was involved in a surf club. I surf whenever I get a chance. I've had a few injuries in the last couple of years so I don't get a chance to surf that much."

Next week in The Dogs Files: Willie Tonga

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: MATT UTAI
"Winger Had a Humble Start"
David Catt
Canterbury Bankstown Express

MATT Utai is renowned as one of the league's premier try-scorers. In four years the 25-year-old winger has racked up 61 tries in 101 games.

But it was certainly a humbling start to first grade rugby league in 2002 when the Bulldogs took on South Sydney in round four. While then teammate Nigel Vagana scored five tries, Utai dropped the ball over the line trying to score his own - a moment he said he will never forget.

However, he prefers to remember the two tries that didn't get away as he helped the Dogs overcome the Sydney Roosters to claim premiership glory in 2004.

His work ethic is also well-regarded off the field, with coach Steve Folkes making it the butt of a joke between the two.

"Sometimes Folkes calls me Huge Thighs, because I have big thighs, probably from all the work I've been doing in the gym," Utai said.

While he may work hard on the field, he doesn't like to play hard when away from the game, choosing to kick back and enjoy the simpler things in life.

"I just like hanging with my kids, hanging out with my mates, playing some X-Box and kicking back," he said.

"I mainly play sports games, but I also like to play a bit of poker."

Next week in The Dog Files: Reni Maitua

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

Btw I know they is all fck'd up with the whole "next week" thing..i havent gone thro the news thing in the right order...

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: DALLAS MCILWAIN
"Dreams Can Come True if You're Patient"
David Catt
Canterbury Bankstown Express

HE'S known for his solid defence, and even named his three-month-old son Steele.

But for Bulldog Dallas McIlwain, it's all part of following a childhood dream of playing for the blue and whites.

"They've always been my club - I've followed them since I was a young fella," he said.

"My dad followed them too and to play for them is a real honour."

His strength also caught the eye of Dogs enforcer Willie Mason who nicknamed him after a namesake wrestler when he joined the club in 2005.

"When I first came to the club he called me DDP, Diamond Dallas Page - I think he is a wrestler," he said.

He had to be made of tough stuff too, debuting at the age of 24 in 2005 against the Broncos - his career highlight and a tribute to his patience.

"At a stage there I thought that I wouldn't make it, and now I've played a few games, so it's all good," he said.

What made his debut even more memorable is that it was played in front of his family and friends in Brisbane. He said despite injuries to key players on the eve of the finals, the club remained confident of success.

"Even though we have some injuries, everyone is confident with who we've brought in and that we can do the job," he said.

Outside of league, he enjoys golf and wakeboarding, and spending time with his son.

"He takes up a fair bit of my time at the moment," he said.

Next week in The Dogs Files: Mark O'Meley

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

THE DOG FILES: MARK O'MELEY
"Defender's a Rock"
David Catt
Canterbury Bankstown Express

THEY call this man Shrek for a reason. Mark O'Meley is truly an ogre of a man - a 180cm, 104kg prop that is known for his rock solid defence and ferocious hit-ups, and that same culture of uncompromising power at the Bulldogs is what drew him to the club.

"We train hard and we play hard, and the results come," he said. "That's the reason I came here - I was on the outside looking in and now being a part of it is what I like about being a Dog."

He said being a part of the Bulldogs giant forward pack had allowed him to share the workload around this year, but with injuries to key big men Roy Asotasi and Tony Grimaldi, the onus has been on him to lead the pack forward.

"It was good this year because I could sit back a little bit and not bash up the body as much as normal, but it's time there's not holding back now," he said.

"It's time to roll up the sleeves and lead this team around."

He is also more than conscious of the impact that big players such as himself have on the game, and holds smaller players he is sent to menace in very high esteem.

"I have a lot of respect for the little guys who put their body on the line," he said.

"Us big forwards, we're used to getting whacked and putting our bodies on the line, but the little fellas, your Brett Hodgsons and that, just relentlessly put themselves under bombs and get three targets put on them, I just have a lot of respect for them."

Shrek said he didn't get his nickname because of his menacing size.

"I had Ogre when I was at the Northern Eagles because I used to sweat a bit at training and sweat a bit in the off-season on the bench press," he said. "Corey Hughes jumped it over to Shrek when I came here."

When he's off the field, he said he likes nothing more than to have a beer and play cards and golf.

Next week in The Dogs Files: Hazem el Masri