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THE Bulldogs are preparing to terminate a 27-year association with the Hughes family so the club can afford to sign New Zealand champion Henry Paul.
The Hughes brothers Corey, 23, Steven, 27, and Glen, 28, are all off contract at season's end and officially have been given permission to test the market and negotiate with rival clubs. But The Daily Telegraph understands the Bulldogs will not offer any of the players contracts worthy of their stature in 2002. The Hughes name has been synonymous with the Canterbury-Bankstown club for the last 27 years and 723 first grade matches. But it appears the Hughes dynasty is coming to a sudden end, largely because the club needs to cash up to sign England-based Kiwi Paul. The Hughes brothers are sons of former Bulldogs star Garry Hughes, now the club's football manager. "The club has given the boys an opportunity to look around," Garry Hughes said yesterday. "It is a fact of life and that's the way football is." Club stalwarts Garry, Graeme and Mark Hughes started playing first grade at Canterbury in 1974 and were members of some of the great Bulldogs teams. Only the famous Mortimers can rival the Hughes clan for loyalty to the Bulldogs. Club legend Peter "Bullfrog" Moore was an unabashed supporter of the Hughes family which, along with Steve, Chris and Peter Mortimer, helped the Bulldogs become known as The Family Club. But it now appears the Bulldogs are ready to embrace a new culture and a new hard-nosed approach to player recruitment. The Bulldogs are poised to announce the signing of Bradford and New Zealand five-eighth Paul later this week. Glen Hughes burst into grade in 1992, Steven a year later, and Corey in 1998. "There are still nine games to go and a lot can happen between now and then. We'll see what happens â they may still be here," Garry Hughes said. "But there are other players like Steve Reardon, Barry Ward and Adam Peak who have been told the same (to look around). They are all good club men. "I think there are about 120 guys in the NRL off contract." Garry Hughes admitted it would be a sad day if the Hughes era was over. Steven Hughes, who scored a try in Canterbury's 1995 Grand Final win over Manly, said: "I was a little bit cranky at the start (when given permission to negotiate elsewhere) but life goes on. "I'm now in the market and my manager (Graeme Hughes) will have to start looking around. "It seems you hit a certain age these days and clubs don't want anything to do with you. "But maybe it's an opportunity â that's the way I'm looking at it." Glen added: "I'm not cranky. Canterbury has been a good club to me â there are no dramas. "We're not sure what is going on â we only spoke to Graeme last week. Hopefully we can finish this season well and then see what happens." Graeme said last night the three Hughes brothers may look at playing in England. "They may still be at the Bulldogs but we're looking at a couple of things including England," Graeme said. "Between them the three can cover hooker, second row, lock, halfback, five-eighth and centre." Graeme said the brothers hoped to continue playing for the same club but Garry said he wanted to remain with the Bulldogs, despite his sons being told to negotiate elsewhere.
The Hughes brothers Corey, 23, Steven, 27, and Glen, 28, are all off contract at season's end and officially have been given permission to test the market and negotiate with rival clubs. But The Daily Telegraph understands the Bulldogs will not offer any of the players contracts worthy of their stature in 2002. The Hughes name has been synonymous with the Canterbury-Bankstown club for the last 27 years and 723 first grade matches. But it appears the Hughes dynasty is coming to a sudden end, largely because the club needs to cash up to sign England-based Kiwi Paul. The Hughes brothers are sons of former Bulldogs star Garry Hughes, now the club's football manager. "The club has given the boys an opportunity to look around," Garry Hughes said yesterday. "It is a fact of life and that's the way football is." Club stalwarts Garry, Graeme and Mark Hughes started playing first grade at Canterbury in 1974 and were members of some of the great Bulldogs teams. Only the famous Mortimers can rival the Hughes clan for loyalty to the Bulldogs. Club legend Peter "Bullfrog" Moore was an unabashed supporter of the Hughes family which, along with Steve, Chris and Peter Mortimer, helped the Bulldogs become known as The Family Club. But it now appears the Bulldogs are ready to embrace a new culture and a new hard-nosed approach to player recruitment. The Bulldogs are poised to announce the signing of Bradford and New Zealand five-eighth Paul later this week. Glen Hughes burst into grade in 1992, Steven a year later, and Corey in 1998. "There are still nine games to go and a lot can happen between now and then. We'll see what happens â they may still be here," Garry Hughes said. "But there are other players like Steve Reardon, Barry Ward and Adam Peak who have been told the same (to look around). They are all good club men. "I think there are about 120 guys in the NRL off contract." Garry Hughes admitted it would be a sad day if the Hughes era was over. Steven Hughes, who scored a try in Canterbury's 1995 Grand Final win over Manly, said: "I was a little bit cranky at the start (when given permission to negotiate elsewhere) but life goes on. "I'm now in the market and my manager (Graeme Hughes) will have to start looking around. "It seems you hit a certain age these days and clubs don't want anything to do with you. "But maybe it's an opportunity â that's the way I'm looking at it." Glen added: "I'm not cranky. Canterbury has been a good club to me â there are no dramas. "We're not sure what is going on â we only spoke to Graeme last week. Hopefully we can finish this season well and then see what happens." Graeme said last night the three Hughes brothers may look at playing in England. "They may still be at the Bulldogs but we're looking at a couple of things including England," Graeme said. "Between them the three can cover hooker, second row, lock, halfback, five-eighth and centre." Graeme said the brothers hoped to continue playing for the same club but Garry said he wanted to remain with the Bulldogs, despite his sons being told to negotiate elsewhere.
