The transition from 'Berries' to 'Bulldogs' in 1978 was simply a case of necessity.
Canterbury and Newtown were the only clubs without an animal for their emblem. Even the relatively new clubs, Cronulla and Penrith were known respectively as the Sharks and the Panthers.
To determine the emblem, the club went to its supporters and undertook their own market test. The most popular name without question was 'The Bulldogs'. From the start of 1978, the 'Berries' were dead and buried.
The Bulldogs seemed the perfect solution. Like Manly in the late 1960s when they changed their emblem from the seagull to the more aggressive sea eagle, the switch was to coincide with premiership victories for both clubs.
For the supporters, the famous Bulldogs chant developed into an institution which would spur the players on when heard from the grandstand. It was time for the players to dig deep and take control of the game.
In 1995 the club was known as the Sydney Bulldogs when they moved their home matches to Parramatta Stadium. This was a marketing strategy to broaden the Bulldog boundaries in the first season of the national competition.
