‘Don’t have the right’: Bulldogs tell booing fans to ‘hop off the bus’ after demoliton
A dejected skipper and coach called on Bulldogs fans to stay on the hard road with them or “hop off the bus” after their 66-0 hammering.
A dejected skipper Reed Mahoney and coach Cameron Ciraldo called on Bulldogs fans to stay on the hard road with them or hop off the bus after their 66-0 hammering by the Knights.
The Knights put on 11 tries for their biggest ever win as a club, while the Bulldogs didn’t look up to NRL standard, particularly given Newcastle’s recent struggles as a team.
The Dogs were booed off the park at halftime leading Mahoney to declare fans “don’t have the right to do that”, before trying to take back his words - but not his message.
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“It was pretty disappointing, but it was just one of those games where the harder we tried the worse it got and things just snow-balled,” Ciraldo said.
“We started off with a lot of energy at the start and then some seven tackle sets gave them possession and put us on the back foot.
“Then any time they came down our end of the field they just capitalised and we just had a lot of tries down that right edge.
“It was a very tough day, but there will be some lessons in there for the whole team and the young guys in particular.
“But it is really important that we stick together and learn those lessons and be better next week.”
Ciraldo was asked if the loss to the Knights was rock bottom for him and his players and the club as a whole.
“I don’t know about rock bottom, but it is not a great moment,” he said.
“It is an embarrassing moment. It is a disappointing moment. It is not what you want.
“We knew things would be hard at different times this year, but probably not this hard.
“But it is what it is. Clubs go through these times. Teams go through this and it shows your real character, so that is what I am interested in right now is the character of our team and club and the individuals within the club.”
Despite the massive defeat, Ciraldo refused to make mass changes for next week to fix the issues at the club.
“We have made changes every week,” Ciraldo said.
“It is not changes that is going to fix this. This is a cultural thing that has happened for years and years now, a habit of losing.
“Obviously today is worse than most weeks, but we want to change the culture of the place and we have got to do that from the ground up.
“We are not going to look for short-term fixes or changes that might get us a little result next week. We want to change the culture of the club and turn into a winning culture and we are starting to do that.
“We are not seeing the results of it on the weekend right now, but the way they train and prepare is changing for the better and it will turn soon.”
Mahoney was visibly upset with fans booing him and his players at halftime and after the game.
“Yeah I did and I guess they are upset and frustrated,” Mahoney said.
“But so are we. We are the ones out there working really hard and we don’t want that to happen. We want them behind us.
“We know the results we are trying to get and we are working hard and what we are doing during the week just isn’t turning up on game day.
“The fans don’t have the right to do that. Well they do in a way, but we are working really hard and it is not easy at the moment.
“I will support my players and this club. It is hard, but we have just got to move on and keep working hard as we are.
“We need our members and fans to get behind us. We are working hard we just didn’t get the result today.”
Ciraldo interjected his skipper to praise fans for their passion, despite not supporting his players being booed.
“The thing I love about the club is how passionate the fans are,” Ciraldo said.
“I have only been here six to eight months but I have seen it and felt it. I can understand it.
“The other thing I love is there is an expectation of winning. You don’t get that at every club.
“This club expects to win. There is a lot of history around winning and the club and fans expect it. That’s the exciting thing about it.
“But you can’t just flick a switch and turn into a winning club and a winning culture, so we are building it from the ground up and the players have got a really strong purpose about the way play and represent the fans and today was disappointing because we didn’t live up to that, but we have got to flush that quick and make sure we are better next week.”
Ciraldo is confident the success the club will have in the future will be more sweet after hard days like they experienced against Newcastle.
“The message to the players is we have got to stick together and that’s the same message for anyone that supports this club,” Ciraldo said.
“Today is hard. Days like today are hard, but the only way you can do it is stick together.
“We are going to turn this club around. One day we will look back at today whether it is a rock bottom moment or a line in the sand, but if you stick with us there will be good times ahead.
“I don’t know how long it is going to take, but I know where we are going and I know how to get there and when we get there days like this will give us all the more reason to enjoy it.”
In a frank admission Ciraldo said he underestimated the losing culture that has become ingrained in the club.
“It is a good question and yeah,” Ciraldo said.
“It is hard to have expectations looking from the outside in or waiting to go somewhere.
“I didn’t know really what it was going to be like. Sometimes you can perform OK, but it covers up what is going on underneath.
“I think the last few months have uncovered what is going on and what we need to change.
“There are some habits of losing teams that are probably there and we need to address that.
“That is not X’s and O’s. It is not game plans and strategy. That is culture of how you go about your work day in and day out. That’s what we are trying to fix.
“I think we have taken some steps forward, but it didn’t come out on game day today, which is disappointing.
“But I know we are building behind the scenes and fixing things that we can build off in the future.”
An emotional Mahoney recalled being booed at the Eels in 2018 and challenged players and fans to stick together or find another club.
“I’ve been here before at the start of my career in 2018,” Mahoney said.
“It hurts, but sometimes you have to go through these things to get where you want to go.
“We have got a lot of young boys that have only played 10 or less first grade games and footy is a lesson. You learn every week.
“You can’t expect a halfback that has played five games to go out there and be Johnathan Thurston straight away. It takes time.
“I have been there before and it is a hard road and we are willing to take that road. That’s the road we are on.
“For the players and the fans if you don’t want to be on that road then hop off the bus because we are going in the right direction.”
Originally published as ‘Don’t have the right’: Bulldogs tell booing fans to ‘hop off the bus’ after demoliton
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