Don't worry hopefully we will have a couple of premierships by then lol

I think Greenberg is setting an example and Roberts isn't the supporters favourite this year anyways.

i don't have the capability of being in that club for another 4 yrs :P

If they were playing the house down I reckon this matter would have been handled differently (call me cynical), but by the CEO's comments he doesn't seem to care if Roberts is not here next year anyway.

I think the 31 year old club. I'll be in the 30 club next year lol.

which club?

I've been in that club for over half a year now.

happy birthday Matt

Cheers champ

Thanks for your kind words :-)

James Lowes to be announced as Warrington coach. All the Super League spots have now dried up.

Fantastic - you dont look a day over 90!

I look good for 140.

I welcome you to club 31 Matt. Enjoy :)

JL by 4 every year so he will be 140 on Sunday!

Well Happy Birthday for Sunday JLL. I don't think it would be a 90 metre to win the game. I think it would be a 90 metre try to blow out the game hehe.

It's a birthday-a-thon on the BDP today lol.

Barba Last Try $15
Dogs 1-12 $4.50

$50 eachway = $ 975

as long as he scores i don't care how long to go, and we need his attack not his defence

Happy birthday Matt..seems like only yesterday i was down there for your last one..enjoy the day..

Yes thats right mate in 2017

JL turns 44 on Sunday.

Leo's are the best Matt.

My 35th on Sunday

My birthday wish : I cant say or Ben Barba will not score a 90m try with 30 secs left to win the game....d'oh!!

So let me get this straight Mohammed old bean. Someone who believes that 9/11 was an Israeli plot and nothing whatsoever to do with Bin Laden or Al Quaeda demands proof before believing anything written in newspapers. Fair enough - at least you're consistent in your inconsistency. Now this is a cue for you to post a link for a number of conspiracy websites that you frequent so please don't let me stop you old chap

AN old relationship involving Bulldogs lock Reni Maitua was the catalyst for teammates Ben Roberts and Lee Te Maari being dumped from first grade and fined $5000 for breaching the club's code of conduct.

Roberts is understood to have escaped the sack because of a clerical oversight when prior offences of a drink-driving charge and an alleged assault were not included in his file.

The Bulldogs launched an investigation on Monday following allegations that Maitua, Roberts, Te Maari and Nick Youngquest had been involved in a brawl at the Sting Bar in Cronulla at 11pm on Sunday night.

A former girlfriend of Maitua was apparently at the bar with her new boyfriend, who approached the Bulldogs lock and attempted to bait him into a fight.

Maitua walked away from the confrontation but Roberts and Te Maari stepped in and threw several punches before being asked to leave the premises by security. Police were not called and are not investigating the incident.

Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg refused to confirm The Australian's version of events but conceded the former Test forward handled the situation well.

Maitua has had a chequered history at the Bulldogs, having been fined and dumped from the first-grade team several times for alcohol-related offences.

"Well hopefully Reni has learned from his previous indiscretions and knew that as a professional athlete whether you agree with it or not, sometimes you just need to make a right decision which is to not put yourself in harm's way," Greenberg said.

"I think on this occasion Reni did that."

While Maitua won praise, the Bulldogs are fed up with the antics of Roberts, in particular, and a meeting was held between management and the coaching staff about his future.

Roberts successfully appealed against a low-range drink-driving charge last year and was charged with several offences following an incident outside a Wollongong hotel in February.

The 22-year-old had to be subdued with capsicum spray and was made to answer charges of resisting arrest, common assault, refusing to comply with police and offensive behaviour.

The club has the power to sack players for repeated offences under its strict code of conduct, but the Bulldogs were prevented from taking such stern action because nothing apparently had been recorded in his personnel file.

"After the latest incident players understand they're very much on notice," Greenberg said.

"I'm disappointed in the behaviour of the two players pure and simple and I've expressed that to both of them.

"Poor behaviour will not be tolerated at the Bulldogs and that has been made very clear to both players."

Roberts and Te Maari were both fined $5000 ($2500 of which was suspended) and will both have to pay the money up front rather than have it deducted from their wages.

They were also dumped from the first-grade team to face St George Illawarra in Wollongong on Monday night and will play in the Bulldogs' NSW Cup team to face Balmain Ryde at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.

Their demotion has paved the way for Toyota Cup gun five-eighth Ben Barba to make his first-grade debut, while a replacement is still to be found for Te Maari.

Barba, 19, has dominated the under-20s competition, scoring 27 tries, 12 better than the next best.

He is also the leading pointscorer with 238 points, 100 clear of his nearest rival.

Greenberg warned it could be a long way back for the disgraced pair if Barba proves to be a hit in first grade.

"If someone like Ben Barba comes in and gets their spot, that's where the mistake gets costly," Greenberg said.

"If there's anything good to come of this, it sends a clear message to our 20s players that Ben now gets an opportunity because of somebody else messing up off the field and the opportunity's his, which he'll grab with both hands

Mate I remember when I was 31. Actually come to think of it I don't!!! :-(((

29 + 2.....

Happy birthday Matt you old bugger, what is it now, 31?

Why, because another reporter backed up the comments of Hadley? Hardly proof and certainly not an official comment from the club

better still go back 2 years ago, that is why we always had the wood on them. Our pack would eat them live everytime we played them.

Thanks to our previous administration there is no forward pack that can take it to them today.

thanks :D

In that case welcome DoGs_R_dA_bEsT™ to the BDP!

Rayyy never lies and if you think he does you need counselling!!!

Er by reading what it says?

Does that include the off season?

It's a she and I invited her into here :)

Hehehe, fair enough. I thought it was one of the Kennelers who wandered on here to post and you were telling him to bugger off!

Ben Barba.

I agree... that's why it surprises me that people jump down our players throats on the basis of reports by of all people, the country Raaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!

If the story is true, then I'm sure that Roberts and Te Maari's positions in FG will not be prejudiced by this incident. I read Folkes as the kind of guy that would be sympathetic of mates stepping in to help out their maligned team-mate.

Doesn't mean those two are certainties to return to FG. The incident might not prejudice them, but their form may.

Also... I still have not read anything that would have Greenberg confirming the reports that he was going to sack Roberts and that his file was empty of past indiscretions. I suggest that BDP posters treat this as mere speculation. I already see people taking this BS as gospel, based on dodgy media reports alone.

Yes that is exactly the spin that I'm suggesting the club is using. Thanks for helping them out.

Dragons haven't beaten us since 2003 right?

Yes from the reports the players handled it correctly. I'm not sure Greenburg has. The incident had basically gone away. Standing the players down and fining them only brought it back into the papers. It would have seemed better to announce that our private investigation found that the incident was caused when a man tried to bait Reni into a fight. Reni shown great restaint and avoided trouble. Not mention anything about Te Maari and Roberts in the press, but QUIETLY talk to them and PUT SOMETHING IN THEIR FILE.

I don't see what was to gain out of doing this in public.

I haven't been more confident going into a game than this week against the Dragons.

The team is resembling more and more of the one the fans were calling for earlier in the season.

I will be tipping us this week!

I really hope it keeps raining though, it will effectively take Gasnier + Cooper out of the game.

How do you come to that conclusion?

i loved his try against the warriors :D

Lets hope he can change his mind.

Happy birthday champ, have great weekend

Well we have a good record against them and let's hope we have alot of blue and white out there on Monday. I'll be heading there straight from work.

Does anyone know by any chance if they have direct lines from Central to Olympic Park stations for Mondays game?

The rule of thumb is to blame the guy for one month for every year he worked. Noads four months is now over (I think) but poor old Folkesy has 10 months of blame after he finishes up.

or maybe Kev finally got his way?

I'm not sure the planet will still be around when price finally retires. He must be close to 45 and still going strong. 8)

Read it again mate, he is referring to free tickets for mums, nans and carers - which is her occupation.

Thanks. Traditionally we lose on this weekend except if we're playing the Saints :)

Happy Day Matt! All the best.

There is a push for Turvey to challenge Peponis, but he won't do it.

I assume at the moment the club is using Folkes to give players bad news and Moore to give players good news. It makes a lot of sense. Let people hate the person who won;t be there soon and love the bloke who will. No different from smart companies blaming mistakes on the bloke who just left.

I agree with Fender that he's been improving. I'd call his form 'good' at the very best, and it's not close to his 2004 form.

I guess if he keeps improving, then he deserves his spot on the team.

Happy birthday MattO. Hopefully a big Bulldogs win would be a good present for ya lol.

From reading the reports the bloke tried to bait Reni but he didnt want any trouble. I like the fact that Benny & Lee T then stepped in and gave the dickhead a touch up. At least we have a little bit of team spirit left

2 decades ago, the Storm forwards wouldn't have done half of what they do now because they all would've been scared. I agree with Brownie, time to start doing it back to them.

Sounds like your wife is a bit of a legend too!

I also think Reni has been playing really well for us over the last couple of weeks