New Bulldogs throw support behind coach Dean Pay after sweeping into power
CANTERBURY’S new-look board will throw all their support behind coach Dean Pay after sweeping into power at the Bulldogs elections.
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LYNNE and Chris Anderson have vowed to return the “family” legacy of the late Peter “Bullfrog” Moore to power with them when their new-look board takes charge of Canterbury today.
And the first person they want to catch up with is Dean Pay to let the new coach know the new board also has his back.
“I will tell him, ‘We are 100 per cent behind you, mate’,” Chris Anderson told The Daily Telegraph last night.
“No matter how tough it gets, we are in the trenches with you.”
The club’s bitter election build-up ended with former chairman Ray Dib’s head on the chopping block after the Anderson-led Bulldogs reform team swept to a stunning landslide victory.
With Lynne Anderson taking over as new chair, the reform team claimed six of the seven spots on the board, with Steve “Turvey” Mortimer the only survivor from the old guard.
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Along with the Andersons, other new faces include former premiership winners Paul Dunn and Steve Price as well as deputy chair John Ballesty and John Khoury.
Dib made a hasty exit from the Canterbury Leagues Club after his shock axing and could not be contacted.
Members had gathered from early morning expecting a close finish but no one could have predicted the animosity that came from the decision by the old board to offer Des Hasler a new contract, only to sack him at the end of last season.
After a spiteful campaign from both sides, the election finished in a disaster for Dib, who has basically gone overnight from being one of the most powerful figures in rugby league to a man who is fighting for his political survival.
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Dib is also in danger of being voted off the NSW Rugby League board this Friday, with his current position set to expire. Dib, Geoff Gerard and Cronulla chairman Dino Mezzatesa are the three contesting for two spots.
Under NSWRL policy, Dib can hold his position even without being on the Bulldogs board because he remains a football club member.
But no doubt losing power at Canterbury is not going to help his cause for NSW re-election. Dib has long had the support of other powerful figures in the game but it remains to be seen if that will continue without the Bulldogs’ backing.
Dib first joined the Canterbury board back in 2007 and took over as chairman in 2010.
While most people expected Sunday’s election to be close, no one predicted it would end in the landslide it did. Of about 700 votes taken, Dib only polled 346, the eighth worst result of the 17 people who stood for election.
Lynne Anderson (441) polled the most votes ahead of Ballesty (448), Price (415), Chris Anderson (397), Dunn (395), Mortimer (392) and Khoury (382).
The Andersons didn’t want to get caught up again in the bitterness that preceded Sunday but vowed to bring the “family” club back together.
Lynne Anderson was emotional when she was asked how her late father would have received the news that his daughter was now the chair of his old club.
“I am still numb,” Lynne Anderson said.
“I am emotional. I just walked past a photo of my dad — that didn’t help.”
“I think what we did in this campaign was we spoke to all the stakeholders in the Bulldogs family … we spoke to all of them and said ‘what are you looking for, what do you need?’
“We want our club to be totally united and I am really committed to that.
“We know that we are at our best when we all come together.
“Our message to fans is we are really excited.
“There is a fantastic opportunity here.
“The Bulldogs are a great club.
“They are admired beyond rugby league.
“Deano is doing some great work we are hearing.
“We can’t wait to wrap our arms around him so to speak and provide some really good support.”
Chris Anderson said the new board would be completely behind Pay and his players.
“And he needs to know that,” said Anderson, who coached Pay to a premiership victory in 1995.
“I think he is good for the club because he is old school.
“He knows what the place is about.
“And I think that will make it a lot easier for us to gel with the players.
“We are there behind him.
“We are there to support him.”
BULLDOGS BOARD VOTING RESULTS
Lynne Anderson (R) 471
John Ballesty (R) 448
Steve Price (R) 415
Chris Anderson (R) 397
Paul Dunn (R) 395
Steve Mortimer 392
John Khoury (R) 382
_______________
Arthur Coorey 364
Nicholas Dimas 360
Peter McMahon 357
Ray Dib 346
Anter Isaac 343
Joanne Farr 310
Anne Sinclair 304
Anthony Elias 96
Luke Brailey 38
Adrian Turner 36
Andrew Gifford 30
* (R) = reform ticket
* First seven members are voted on to the board