“Ambush The Ambush”. Those were the words that sparked one of the greatest finals runs for Canterbury in recent memory.
And it began with an upset in Melbourne.
Sound familiar?
For mercurial five-eighth Josh Reynolds, who was part of the Bulldogs’ latest finals conquest against this week’s opponents – the Melbourne Storm – their triumph in the first week of the 2014 finals series is one he will never forget.
Underdog Status
After down to eventual Premiers Souths in another classic contest against their inner-city rivals, the Bulldogs were all but written off following their Golden Point defeat to the lowly Gold Coast Titans in the final round of the regular season.
Finishing in seventh position, one of the toughest road trips in the game’s history beckoned; a Sunday afternoon in Melbourne against the might of the Storm.
Highlights: Bulldogs vs Storm - 2014 Elimination Final
But despite the naysayers, Reynolds, who helped steer the Bulldogs to the Grand Final just two years prior, says that belief was at their doorstep from the very start.
After converting a 24-nil shock lead at half-time into a comfortable 28-4 victory, who could blame him?
“Out of all of those wins in 2014, that’s probably the one where we were written off the most going in,” he explained.
“We had the belief from 2012 and we knew what we had to do, we just couldn’t piece it together during the regular season.
“But that first win, to go down there and do that was ridiculous when you think about it. With the players they had, no one thought we were going to win.
We went down with a mentality of ‘we do not care who we are playing’. We knew if we brought it together we could beat anyone. That’s what we were saying all year.
“[Head Coach] Des Hasler came up with the saying; ‘we’ve got to ambush the ambush’.
“Throughout the game we just grew and grew and frustrated the Storm, who normally get their own way in Melbourne. To then build the confidence we knew we had, it was the best feeling ever to go down there and win.
“We didn’t just prove everyone wrong, we proved ourselves right. That’s what I felt a big part of it was. We knew we could do it on a big stage away from home.
“It was an amazing win.”
Tim is Him
The star of the show came in the form of x-factor centre Tim Lafai. A mainstay at the Club since his scintillating debut in 2011, the Samoan International brought plenty of spark to the Bulldogs’ attack.
This time though, he was a man on fire.
After taking a shock 12-nil lead after just fourteen minutes, Lafai finished the match with 192 running metres, a linebreak, a try assist and a hat-trick.
Cameron Ciraldo Press Conference Finals Week 1
“He was unstoppable. He was my centre and early in the game I just felt he was doing a job on his opposite. I just fed him the ball all day,” Reynolds explained.
“JMoz (Josh Morris) was the best defensive centre in the game by far, but Tim Lafai wasn’t far off being one of the best attacking centres in the game at that time.
“It’s a big call, with centres like Greg Inglis and Will Chambers, but when Tim was on, I knew all my role was to give him the ball and back up in the middle.
He had that in and away, that palm and he was just brilliant. My role was to open him up. It was probably the best individual performance in a finals match that I’ve been part of.
A Point of Difference
Lafai’s third try of the afternoon just minutes from full-time highlighted the diversity of the Bulldogs’ squad, a pillar on which the side could lean on when the going got tough.
Hulking forward Greg Eastwood – who had somewhat of a penchant for intercepts during his Bulldogs career – had latched onto a Cooper Cronk pass, before handing the Steeden over to Lafai who sealed the deal.
While legendary caller Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren had a minor faux pas with the mic - mistaking Eastwood for rep star fullback Greg Inglis - the moment, according to Reynolds, highlighted the side’s array of talent across the park.
The Story of the 2012-2014 Bulldogs: Part 5
“Look, there were some similar traits, but I wouldn’t say speed was one,” Reynolds laughed when comparing Eastwood and Inglis.
“I would have to say Greg Eastwood was a very different type of forward, and he was a great example of why this team was special.
“He used to fold people in half, we had the bash brothers in Frankie Pritchard and Sam Kasiano who would shoulder charge anyone near them.
“But then you had the hard work and silky skills of Aiden Tolman and Bupa (James Graham). I just felt we had such a well-rounded pack.
“Greg was an X-Factor and that intercept he took, no forward would think of doing that. He could come up with big plays on both sides of the ball.
“That’s why we had the belief of ‘I don’t know how we’re going to beat you, but we’ll beat you somehow’. 'We’ll either outwork you and we’ll follow their lead or we’ll light you up with some of the most skilful players in the NRL'.
We were so close as a team, and when we got told we had to ambush the ambush, we knew what we had to do. We looked at each other in the eye and made a promise that we’d never back down from anything.
Freaky Friday
Nearly eleven years to the day from that famous victory, the Bulldogs now stare down a similar task.
Only this time around, the opportunity to head straight to the Preliminary Final with a week off in hand is on the line, a luxury the side of 2014 didn’t have.
Reynolds is every bit confident that the current crop, despite some troops missing, can get the job done in the Victorian capital with their backs to the wall, just like his side did.
“Every single week, every single day I’m sick of reading the papers and reading that we’re gone and written off,” Reynolds declared.
“I think this group loves the challenge. Melbourne are the best grinders in the competition and they've got to go to work and out-grind them.
“It’ll be a close game I feel and it’ll come down to a couple of big moments. But I feel like this year, our team has looked best when we’ve attacked with defence and gone after teams with our fit and mobile pack.
“We put teams under fatigue they can’t just go anymore. I honestly believe we can do that this week.
They’re being written off but that’s what the Bulldogs are about; backs against the wall, no one giving you a chance but going out to prove everybody wrong.
“They have a chance to come home and play in a Preliminary Final in front of our fans. I’m very confident, they’re a great squad. They play for each other and their connection is like no other.”
