The 2007 Bulldogs RLFC season was the 73rd in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 6th (out of 16) and reaching the semi-finals before being knocked out by the Parramatta Eels.

2007 Bulldogs RLFC season
← 2006 2008 →

Season summary

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The Bulldogs' 2007 NRL Premiership campaign began against the Newcastle Knights. While the Knights won 25–24 in a dramatic season opener at EnergyAustralia Stadium, the game will long be remembered for the sending off of Sonny Bill Williams for a swinging left arm which left Andrew Johns lying face down on the turf unconscious in the fourth minute. The Bulldogs capitalised on this, at one point leading 24–8 before a comeback by the Knights saw them lose by just one point.

The Bulldogs then suffered a gigantic loss to Penrith a week later, before recording their first win of the season against new club the Gold Coast Titans in front of a home crowd of 14,675. Round four saw them clash with newly crowned heavyweights South Sydney, who had yet to lose a game. The Bulldogs rose to the occasion, disposing of the highly fancied Rabbitohs 34–10 in front of a record Telstra Stadium crowd of 34,315. This was deemed a South Sydney home game.

Round five saw the Bulldogs host a tense match against the Manly Sea Eagles, ultimately going down by just two points in what was a very physical game at Telstra Stadium. A large crowd of 20,269 attended the match, which saw Hazem El Masri take the field in his 250th First Grade Premiership Match. The 'Dogs then travelled to Parramatta in Round six, and produced a remarkable comeback from 16–6 down just before halftime to snare victory 21–18 over the Eels in front of over 18,000 fans.

Round seven's clash was set to be a bumper one at Telstra Stadium, but a disappointing crowd and performance from the Bulldogs saw them fall to the Wests Tigers 34–18. The next week, the Bulldogs returned to form with a comfortable 30–16 win against the Newcastle Knights at Telstra Stadium. Hazem El Masri scored a try and 5 conversions to take his career tally to 1910 points, only the 6th player in history to do so.

Round nine was the first Monday Night game for the Bulldogs in 2007, playing against the in-form Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park. With Origin selections the next day, both teams were eager to impress. It was a disappointing game for the 'Dogs, going down 38–14. Round ten, and the Bulldogs returned to Telstra Stadium, taking on the Sharks minus their Origin stars. A late comeback from the Bulldogs in the second half was not enough, losing 30–20 in front of only 12,384 fans.

There were many Origin stars backing up from both teams for the round eleven clash with the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium. Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Bowen were brilliant as they carved up the 'Dogs defence, and although the Bulldogs rallied for a late comeback, it would again not be enough as the Cowboys ran away to a 26–16 win, leaving the Bulldogs with their 3rd straight loss and sitting 14th on the ladder.

Round twelve was a crucial match for the Bulldogs, travelling across the Tasman to face the New Zealand Warriors at Mount Smart Stadium. Under pressure, the Bulldogs broke their three-game losing streak with a 40–20 win over a 12-man Warriors outfit, only their 5th win of the season. Round thirteen was a bye.

Returning from the bye, the Bulldogs took on the Brisbane Broncos at Telstra Stadium. A sloppy affair, the Bulldogs went down 19–12, and dropped down to 13th on the ladder.

Again under pressure, the Bulldogs had another tough assignment in the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval. It was a stunning win for the Bulldogs, defeating the Sea Eagles 27–8. The next week, the Bulldogs returned once again to Monday Night Football for their round sixteen clash with the struggling Sydney Roosters. Without their Origin stars, it was a dominant display from Sonny Bill Williams that led the 'Dogs to a 38–6 dismantling of the Roosters in front of a big crowd of 20,722.

Now sitting on 10th spot, the Bulldogs had a chance to jump into the Top 8 against the Cronulla Sharks at Toyota Park. Down 12–0 at halftime, a good comeback saw the Bulldogs prevail 14–12 for their 3rd straight win. The next week, however, saw the Bulldogs suffer a loss against bottom-placed Penrith Panthers at Telstra Stadium, in front of just 12,465 fans. In control of the match for the first half, the Bulldogs conceded 26 points in the second half, losing 30–20. They were lucky to be sitting on 8th spot after round eighteen.

For round nineteen, the 'Dogs travelled to Carrara Stadium to face the Titans. It was a great performance from the Bulldogs as they streaked to a 36–12 thrashing against the Titans.

Round twenty and the Bulldogs took on the St George Illawarra Dragons at WIN Stadium. In front of 19,051 fans, the Bulldogs scored late in the game to score an upset, winning 28–24. This was the 'Dogs 10th win of the season, with their position in the Top 8 secured for another week.

Another Friday Night blockbuster was played in front of 27,201 fans where the Bulldogs hosted the Parramatta Eels at Telstra Stadium. Parramatta dominated the first half, leading 18–10 at the break, but during the second half the 'Dogs rallied for yet another comeback, scoring 2 tries to make the scoreline 28–22 with 10 minutes to go. As another try-scoring opportunity passed, Sonny Bill Williams looked to have scored off another one-on-one strip, but was ruled to have knocked it forward. In the end, the Bulldogs lost 34–22.

With a chance to cement their spot in the Top 8, the Bulldogs played against the Canberra Raiders at Telstra Stadium. Another superb performance from Sonny Bill Williams, including a first career hat-trick, saw the Bulldogs effectively end the Raiders' finals hopes with a crushing 52–4 win, their biggest win over the Raiders in history. Hazem El Masri kicked only 6 goals from 10, but during the game scored a try to take his career tally to 2000 points. He ended the day on 2010 points, only 166 points from Andrew Johns' record.

The Bulldogs began their final three games (all to be played on Friday nights through Rounds 23, 24 and 25) with a one-point victory against the Brisbane Broncos by 25–24. The game 'see-sawed' considerably before a Brent Sherwin field goal managed to put the Bulldogs in front by one with 5 minutes remaining. The victory saw them temporarily third, but other results meant they kept their position in the top four and secured a likely finals berth.

The Bulldogs now have 2 matches left, first against the Melbourne Storm at Telstra Stadium, and then will conclude their regular season against the North Queensland Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Stadium on 31 August. With these two matches remaining, the Bulldogs are currently positioned in the top four.

Match results

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2007 Season Results
Round Opponent Result Bulldogs Opposition Date Venue Crowd
TM   St George Illawarra Dragons Win 26 16 24 February WIN Stadium
TM   New Zealand Warriors Loss 6 36 3 March North Harbour Stadium
1   Newcastle Knights Loss 24 25 18 March Energy Australia Stadium 18,791
2   Penrith Panthers Loss 10 40 23 March CUA Stadium 16,652
3   Gold Coast Titans Win 22 6 1 April Telstra Stadium 14,675
4   South Sydney Rabbitohs Win 34 10 6 April Telstra Stadium 34,315
5   Manly Sea Eagles Loss 14 16 14 April Telstra Stadium 20,269
6   Parramatta Eels Win 21 18 22 April Parramatta Stadium 18,285
7   Wests Tigers Loss 18 34 27 April Telstra Stadium 18,066
8   Newcastle Knights Win 30 16 6 May Telstra Stadium 12,654
9   Melbourne Storm Loss 14 38 14 May Olympic Park 14,066
10   Cronulla Sharks Loss 20 30 20 May Telstra Stadium 12,384
11   North Queensland Cowboys Loss 16 26 25 May Suncorp Stadium 15,412
12   New Zealand Warriors Win 40 20 3 June Mount Smart Stadium 10,041
13 Bye
14   Brisbane Broncos Loss 12 19 15 June Telstra Stadium 10,121
15   Manly Sea Eagles Win 27 8 22 June Brookvale Oval 13,849
16   Sydney Roosters Win 38 6 2 July Telstra Stadium 20,722
17   Cronulla Sharks Win 14 12 8 July Toyota Park 8,441
18   Penrith Panthers Loss 20 30 14 July Telstra Stadium 12,465
19   Gold Coast Titans Win 36 12 20 July Carrara Stadium 15,873
20   St George Illawarra Dragons Win 28 24 28 July WIN Stadium 19,051
21   Parramatta Eels Loss 22 34 3 August Telstra Stadium 27,201
22   Canberra Raiders Win 52 4 12 August Telstra Stadium 12,127
23   Brisbane Broncos Win 25 24 17 August Suncorp Stadium 35,199
24   Melbourne Storm Loss 6 38 24 August Telstra Stadium
25   North Queensland Cowboys Loss 32 38 31 August Dairy Farmers Stadium
Qualifying Final   North Queensland Cowboys Loss 18 20 8 September Dairy Farmers Stadium
Semi Final   Parramatta Eels Loss 6 25 15 September Telstra Stadium
Round Position
1 9/16
2 13/16
3 11/16
4 7/16
5 10/16
6 7/16
7 10/16
8 8/16
9 11/16
10 11/16
11 14/16
12 11/16
13 11/16
14 13/16
15 11/16
16 10/16
17 7/16
18 8/16
19 7/16
20 6/16
21 7/16
22 6/16
23 4/16
24 4/16
25 6/16

Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1   Melbourne Storm 24 21 0 3 1 627 277 +350 44
2   Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 24 18 0 6 1 597 377 +220 38
3   North Queensland Cowboys 24 15 0 9 1 547 618 −71 32
4   New Zealand Warriors 24 13 1 10 1 593 434 +159 29
5   Parramatta Eels 24 13 0 11 1 573 481 +92 28
6   Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 12 0 12 1 575 528 +47 26
7   South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 12 0 12 1 408 399 +9 26
8   Brisbane Broncos 24 11 0 13 1 511 476 +35 24
9   Wests Tigers 24 11 0 13 1 541 561 −20 24
10   Sydney Roosters 24 10 1 13 1 445 610 −165 23
11   Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 10 0 14 1 463 403 +60 22
12   Gold Coast Titans 24 10 0 14 1 409 559 −150 22
13   St George Illawarra Dragons 24 9 0 15 1 431 509 −78 20
14   Canberra Raiders 24 9 0 15 1 522 652 −130 20
15   Newcastle Knights 24 9 0 15 1 418 708 −290 20
16   Penrith Panthers 24 8 0 16 1 539 607 −68 18

Players (31)

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Current to Round 17, 2007
Player Appearances Tries Goals F Goals Points
Adam Brideson 1 0 0 0 0
Fred Briggs 1 0 0 0 0
Kane Cleal 15 2 0 0 8
Trent Cutler 9 6 0 0 24
Hazem El Masri 15 6 51/60 0 126
Andrew Emelio 2 1 0 0 4
Jon Green 2 0 0 0 0
Jarrad Hickey 15 4 0 0 16
Daniel Holdsworth 11 0 0 1 1
Corey Hughes 15 1 0 0 4
Nick Kouparitsas 8 1 0 0 4
Heka Nanai 1 0 0 0 0
Reni Maitua 15 4 0 0 16
Willie Mason 11 2 0 0 8
Dallas Mcilwain 7 1 0 0 4
Daryl Millard 15 5 0 0 20
Brad Morrin 1 0 0 0 0
Mark O'Meley 11 1 0 0 4
Luke Patten 16 3 0 0 12
Adam Perry 10 0 0 0 0
Cameron Phelps 5 3 0 0 12
Ben Roberts 10 1 0 1 5
Andrew Ryan 14 4 0 0 16
Brent Sherwin 11 2 5/7 0 18
Lee Te Maari 6 1 0 0 4
Willie Tonga 15 3 0 0 12
Matt Utai 1 1 0 0 4
Aaron Wheatley 1 0 0 0 0
Sonny Bill Williams 14 8 0 0 32
Tim Winitana 1 0 0 0 0

Movements

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Gains

2007 Signings/Transfers
Player Previous Club Years Signed Until the End of
Daryl Millard St George Illawarra Dragons 3 Years 2009
Kane Cleal South Sydney Rabbitohs 2 Years 2008
Brent Crisp Canberra Raiders 2 Years 2008
Lee Te Maari St George Illawarra Dragons 2 Years 2008
Aaron Wheatley St George Illawarra Dragons 1 Years 2007
Ryan Millard St George Illawarra Dragons Unknown duration Unknown Year
Leon Bott Cronulla Sharks 2 Years 2008

Losses

Losses
Player Notes
Roy Asotasi Contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs
Daniel Irvine Contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs
Nate Myles Contract with the Sydney Roosters
Ben Czislowski Contract with the Wynnum Manly
Daniel Conn Contract with the Gold Coast Titans

Re-Signings

Re-Signings
Player Years Signed Until the End of
Hazem El Masri 2 Years 2009
Matt Utai 2 Years 2009
Ben Roberts 2 Years 2009
Cameron Phelps 1 Year 2008
Corey Hughes 1 Year 2008
Brad Morrin 1 Year 2008

See also

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References

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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
  • Lester G (1991). The Bulldog Story. Playright Publishing. ISBN 0-646-04447-8
  • 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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