Former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs hooker and previous Canberra Raiders assistant coach Michael Ennis has revealed how difficult it was to watch his beloved Bulldogs struggle in recent years.
In the build-up to Saturday's top-of-the-table clash, a man who's been inside both sheds has opened up on his past struggles with the Dogs' performances in recent years, as well as his excitement with their current ladder position.
โIt was difficult, seeing the club where I spent so much of my career struggle," Ennis said onย Fox League.
"But I think it makes it even more rewarding to see where they are at the moment and the type of footy they're playing.โ
This current Bulldogs outfit is very different from the ones of the past, with a few players Ennis has his eyes on as mainstays for the club.
โI said to Cameron at Magic Round, โBailey Hayward just looks like a Bulldog.' He looks like everything they wanted us to play like; the attitude, the intent."
There was a certain expectation around Bulldogs footy and what a Bulldogs player looked like."
Ennis played 136 matches for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, making two Grand Finals in the process. Despite the success he endured in Belmore, he is even impressed with the direction the club is heading in.
โThey've done such a great job to get where they are, and they absolutely deserve to be sitting up the top of the ladder given the footy that they've played.โ
His other recent club, the Canberra Raiders, has also been reaping the benefits of a strong rebuild, currently sitting second on the NRL ladder.
โRicky's done a great job with them in terms of knowing who they are, their identity as a footy side and being able to live that every single week,โ Ennis admitted.
While Ennis touched on the chaotic game plan that can be hit or miss for a lot of sides, he highlighted one guy who has elevated this Raiders outfit's ability to compete consistently.
โYou've just got the conductor there, Jamal Fogarty, who sits on the back of the forward pack,โ he said.
โHe lets the young blokes try and play that unorthodox ad-lib style of footy. But then, no matter where the set ends, he's calculated in terms of turning good or poor sets into high finishes with his kicking game.
โThey've got great balance at the moment. And again, they're another side that absolutely deserve to be in the top four.โ
His two former sides will go head-to-head on Saturday, in a sold-out clash that is sure to be the highlight of Round 9.
