Terry Lamb’s crack at Canterbury coach Des Hasler over not knowing what the Bulldogs’ culture is about was aimed more at the NRL club’s underperforming players than their mentor, according to star playmaker Josh Reynolds.
Bulldogs great Lamb claimed two weeks ago that Hasler, who has taken the club to two grand finals in his four seasons at Belmore, was unfamiliar with Canterbury’s famous ‘Dogs of War’ mentality.
Lamb, who is an employee of the Dogs, asserted that was because Hasler has never played for Canterbury.
The comments are said to have upset Hasler but Reynolds, who is one of the few local juniors at the Dogs, said Lamb wasn’t being personal.
“I know Terry as a bloke. He wouldn’t have been having any sort of a dig at Des. He was just saying the Bulldogs have such a strong culture,” Reynolds said on Tuesday.
“It has been such a successful club for such a long time and people are saying the Bulldogs should be winning grand finals with the team we have and we should be. But it doesn’t always happen.”
After a highly inconsistent season thus far, the Bulldogs are 5-4 and sit ninth on the NRL ladder. Their worst football has been a long way from their best, a situation that seemed to spark something in Lamb.
“Des doesn’t know what the culture is about and that’s just what it is,” Lamb told News Corp.
“It’s hard to distribute that when you haven’t played for the club itself.
“That’s not a fault of Dessie either.
Reynolds agreed.
“I find it very weird when people come out and blame the coach,” he said.
“I reckon that is what Terry is saying too, to put a little rocket up us and saying do you remember what this blue and white jersey means.”