The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are a professional rugby league club in the National Rugby League (NRL), the premier rugby league football competition in Australia.

Based in Belmore, a suburb of Sydney, the Bulldogs in 1935 were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition, a predecessor of the current NRL competition.

The Bulldogs won their first premiership in just their fourth season (1938). At the time it made them the quickest club (barring the founding clubs) to win a premiership after admission to the competition, a record which was only recently beaten in 1999 by the Melbourne Storm. They won a second premiership in 1942 but then had to wait another 38 years before breaking through for a third title in 1980. During the 80s, the Bulldogs were a dominant force in the competition appearing in five Grand Finals, winning four of them. In the 90s they featured in the 1995 and 1998 Grand Finals, winning the former. Their most recent success was in 2004 when they beat the Sydney Roosters 16 - 13. The tryscorers were Hazem El Masri and Matt Utai, and the Clive Churchill Medal winner was Willie Mason.

Their eight premiership trophy moved the club into a clear 5th place in the all-time tally.

1ST Grade

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Premierships (8)

Year Opponent Score
1938 Easts 19-6
1942 St. George 11-9
1980 Easts 18-4
1984 Parramatta 6-4
1985 St. George 7-6
1988 Balmain 24-12
1995 Manly 17-4
2004 Sydney 16-13

Runners Up (8)

Year Opponent Score
1940 Easts 14-24
1947 Balmain 9-13
1967 Souths 10-12
1974 Easts 4-19
1979 St. George 13-17
1986 Parramatta 2-4
1994 Canberra 12-36
1998 Brisbane 12-38

Minor Premierships (7)

Year Competition Wins
1938 NSWRL 11 (2 draws)
1942 NSWRL 10
1947 NSWRL 13 (1 draw)
1984 NSWRL 19
1993 NSWRL 17
1994 NSWRL 18
2012 NSWRL 18

Finals Appearances (40)

Year Competition Finishing Position
1936 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1938 NSWRL Premiers
1939 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1940 NSWRL Runners Up
1941 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1942 NSWRL Premiers
1946 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1947 NSWRL Runners Up
1960 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1967 NSWRL Runners Up
1970 NSWRL Semi Finalists
1973 NSWRL Preliminary Semi Finalists
1974 NSWRL Runners Up
1975 NSWRL Preliminary Semi Finalists
1976 NSWRL Preliminary Finalists
1978 NSWRL Preliminary Semi Finalists
1979 NSWRL Runners Up
1980 NSWRL Premiers
1983 NSWRL Preliminary Finalists
1984 NSWRL Premiers
1985 NSWRL Premiers
1986 NSWRL Runners Up
1988 NSWRL Premiers
1993 NSWRL Preliminary Finalists
1994 NSWRL Runners Up
1995 ARL Premiers
1997 SL Preliminary Semi Finalists
1998 NRL Runners Up
1999 NRL Semi Finalists
2001 NRL Semi Finalists
2003 NRL Preliminary Finalists
2004 NRL Premiers
2006 NRL Preliminary Finalists
2007 NRL Semi Finalists
2009 NRL Preliminary Finalists
2012 NRL Runners Up
2013 NRL Elimination Final
2014 NRL Runners Up
2015 NRL Semi Finalists
2016 NRL Semi Finalists

2ND Grade/NSW Cup

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2ND Grade
Premiers (11) 1939, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1997 (SL), 1998*, 2000, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2018
Runners-Up (3) 1945, 1952, 1979

3RD Grade

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3RD Grade
Premiers (1) 1971
Runners-Up (5) 1963, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1976

President's Cup

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President's Cup
Premiers (4) 1931, 1976, 1991, 1998*
Runners-Up (5) 1942, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975

Jersey Flegg Cup

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Jersey Flegg Cup
Premiers (10) 1963, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
Runners-Up (0)

Harold Matthews Cup

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Harold Matthews Cup
Premiers (3) 2007, 2009, 2011
Runners-Up (1) 2006

SG Ball Cup

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S. G. Ball Cup
Premiers (2) 1972, 1978, 2009
Runners-Up (2) 1965, 1966

Club Championships

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Club Championships
Club Championships (7) 1938, 1939, 1993, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • The Bulldogs won the President's Cup title in 1998; however this title was also considered to be the equivalent of 2nd Grade and as such is listed in both tables.

References

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Footnotes

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  • Woods B (2007). El Magic - The Life of Hazem El Masri. Harper Collins Publishing. ISBN 0-7322-8402-3
  • Andrews M (2006). The ABC of Rugby League. ABC Publishing. ISBN 0-7333-1946-7
  • Whiticker A & Hudson G (2005). Canterbury Bulldogs - The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Bas Publishing. ISBN 1-920910-50-6
  • Whittaker A & Collis I (2004). The History of Rugby League Clubs. ISBN 978-1-74110-470-7
  • Lane D (1996). A Family Betrayal - One Man's Super League War - Jarred McCracken. Ironbark Publishing. ISBN 0-330-35839-1
  • Chesterton R (1996). Good as Gould - Phil Gould's Stormy Life in Football. Ironbark Publishing. ISBN 0-330-35873-1
  • Lane D (1996). A Family Betrayal - One Man's Super League War - Jarred McCracken. Ironbark Publishing. ISBN 0-330-35839-1
  • Whiticker A (1992). The Terry Lamb Story. Gary Allen Publishing. ISBN 1-875169-14-8
  • Tasker N (1988). Top-Dog - The Steve Mortimer Story. Century Hutchinson Publishing. ISBN 0-09-169231-8
  • Lester G (1985). Berries to Bulldogs. Lester - Townsend Publishing. ISBN 0-949853-06-2
  • NRL Official Information Handbook (2001-2007). Season Guide.
  • Middleton D (1987-2006). The Official NSWRL, ARL, NRL Yearbook / Annual.
  • Christensen EE (1946-1977). NSWRL Yearbook.
  • Rugby League Review (2003-2007).
  • Big League (1974-2007).
  • Rugby League Week (1970-2007).
  • The Rugby League News.
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