It summed up DCE's career - looked good initially but fell short.

Is Thurston the last of the 2004 Bulldogs still playing? 

Hutch Maieva?

JT is the only one left playing NRL.
SBW is still going with Union & Willie Tonga is still going in English Super League (unless last year was his final season).

Soon we'll be asking if any of our players were even born since our last premiership.

Bubs born in 2004 will be ready for first grade in just a few years. They're already coming through the grades, that's for sure.
I think JT & SBW were about the youngest of that 2004 squad. Shifty Sherwin would surely be in his 40's now & he wasn't the oldest of the bunch, so they're all old now as far as footy player years are concerned.

Hutch is in his 40's, retired over a decade ago.

Nein ...supposedly still plays for Blacktown Workers

I vaguely remembered his name, but had to google him earlier.
This is the link I was going by :
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/hutch-maiava/summary.html
If you bring park football into it, maybe there's a few still going in their 40's, but at the pro level, no way, all past it.
Even SBW said 2019 is possibly his last at age 34 & using it for a crack at the all blacks..

Have always said Napa was one of the most bone headed players and McCulloch will attest to that. His missile like head first tackle looked nasty. Would suggest in a bit of trouble.

Ah yes the great Hutch.

2004 I played in a Bulldogs Day at the beautiful Bonville Golf Course in Coffs Harbour.
An Ambrose with a mate, Hutch and Braith Anasta, who played like a Pro.
My mate was a scratch marker and was in awe of the length that Braith hit them out there. (BTW me was off10)
Hutch would have owed a carton by the ninth hole with his inability to pass the red tees. Hi only words were ooh f#$%.
We won the day and I have a lovely framed Guernsey signed by all the 2004 guys. Yes SBW, JT, Pricey et al.
A great day and lunch but unfortunately all hell broke loose the next day.
I will say, don't believe the press. Hadley was all BS and I maybe understand why JT is in Townsville.  

With a game to play the 20s will come 7th and reserve grade will finish 4th, Great result for both especially with so many of their players being lost when they were promoted up a grade.

Napa will probably get a couple of weeks with a warning that if it happens again it will be a couple of months.  I guess there is no feeling where there are no brains but self preservation must surely be an issue to stamp this out as well.

There's been plenty of head clashes that the apologists on TV and press especially are always trying to claim as accidental.

I don't buy half of them, I've seen plenty that could be described as reckless at best and deliberate if we're honest. And I count both of the Napa tackles in the latter. They set themselves, lead with the head and then claim accident. Always amazing in these "accidents" how the hard part of the head of the tackler hits the soft part of the face of the victim isn't it, purely by accident suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T

They should force Napa to wear a big soft headgear until he can consistently prove it doesn't happen.

Napa and the Roosters can't argue against that, IMO that reduces the damage that can be done by any potential impact.

Too late to save Napa's IQ, but we all know that is like misplacing a losing lotto ticket, not a big deal either way. 

very pleasing results, the future is bright 

What a dill Andrew Johns was today on the footy show claiming that a precedence was set with Napa's other dismissed charge and that they cant change their ruling on it. 

It's dangerous, he has history, 3-4 weeks out me thinks. 

If James Graham got 12 weeks suspension just for allegedly harmlessly scratching Slater on the ear, what's the suspension for nearly killing a player or risking breaking their neck? If it's less than 12 weeks, they may as well bring back the biff & shoulder charges & be done with it.

And what's worse, after doing it twice, he missed grub McGuire both times!

I actually thought the head crusher tackle by Chambers was far worse and clearly more deliberate. Napa's is just an impact danger. 

Irrespective, it should be dealt with and he will need to clean up this tackling technique or face further time on sidelines. The chambers one on Hayne was really bad. Could have been another Alex McKinnon result. He got 3 weeks. Napa will only get about the same.

Napa's was as reckless as you can get whereas the Chambers one on Hayne was deliberate...he did indeed deserve more. Napa's first offence was treated as a one off accident but yesterday's tackle proved it was not the case. I know I've referred to him as Goat Boy...I thought that was his intellect not for his chosen method of tackling.

My abiding feeling about this game is how much I am looking forward to it . After a horror season to  not remember it is terrific that this patchwork team is performing so well 

Great first half

how good is lewis & smith very impressed  

all hail king remis smith 2 unbelievable trys  i didnt think he was this good woooooo

I just can not believe Smith, i don't think I've done a 180 on a player like this in the history of the game. Those two running try's, only few players can score them and not many the other one either.

So last year when send Saints out of the finals, this year we send them from 4th to 6th.

Bwahahahahahaha!

I put these two scenarios to you, one hypothetical one real. In both these scenarios we start 2019 exactly the same but...

Scenario #1. 2017 and 2018 we make The GF but lose both.

Scenario #2. As has happened, 2017 & 2018 we compete for the spoon BUT f*** up The Dragons season both times.

Which do you prefer?

I go with #2!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Definitely our best win of the season, we have sent the Dragons into a downward spiral.

Smith slightly faster than I thought, but otherwise not surprised.

Great effort by the whole team..

IMO the Dragons tried hard and some of their players were good, but we gave them nothing and were relentless.

When we got half a chance we cashed in with some great trys, particularly the 2 long range Smith efforts.

The Eels getting the spoon and us sending the Dragons crashing out of contention.

I would prefer to make a GF, but it is great to finish a bad season on a high.

Absolutely unreal result...... the best 80mins we’ve played in 3yrs


Congrats Dean Pay & team

Make it 5yrs. That's how long since they've kept a team to zero. Brilliant win.

We jumped a ladder position with that too, if my sums are correct and I think they are. Jumped The Titans, into 12th.

I know it's not much but I bet it was the last thing anyone expected before 4pm.