Best 17s of 16-team era: Canterbury Bulldogs

Two grand finals have highlighted the Canterbury Bulldogs' time over the last 16 years, but the club have failed to win a premiership during that time.

Here we name their best 17 of the 16-team era.

Fullback: Ben Barba

When it comes to the fullback role over the last decade and a half at the Bulldogs, there are only two players who are in contention.

One is Luke Patten, who will go down as a Bulldogs legend, retiring at the end of the 2020 season with 225 games under his belt.

The other is the man we are selecting in Ben Barba. Playing 97 games for the blue and white through to the end of the 2013 season when he moved to the Brisbane Broncos, Barba had the number one jersey through a phenomenal 2012 season which guided Canterbury through to the grand final.

They ultimately fell short on that occasion to the Melbourne Storm, but it was a season where he won the Dally M Medal and set the competition alight.

The number one jersey at Belmore hasn't been the same since.

Wingers: Hazem El Masri and William Hopoate

Players considered: William Hopoate, Matt Utai, Hazem El Masri

When it comes to wingers at the Bulldogs, one name stands out from the rest of the crowd - Hazem El Masri.

Despite the fact he retired at the end of 2009, that gives him three seasons in the 16-team era, and the man who scored 159 tries across 317 games, while also kicking 891 goals for his beloved club, takes up a spot in this side without a shadow of a doubt.

One of the club's all-time greats, there was never a feeling that he might have played on for too long, as has been felt about others.

On the other wing, we have selected William Hopoate.

A versatile backline player who lost his touch towards the back-end of his time at the Bulldogs, Hopoate was one of the bright lights in a tough period for Canterbury.

Now at St Helens, Hopoate played 124 games at the Bulldogs.

A surprising lack of wingers during the 16-team era make this a relatively easy selection. Brett Morris isn't considered as he played more games elsewhere, while Sam Perrett is in the same boat, with the only competition to Hopoate and the man they dubbed 'El Magic' being Matt Utai.

Centres: Josh Morris and Jamal Idris

The Bulldogs have had far more strong options in the centres over the 16 last 16 years, but there are none that come close to Josh Morris.

The star centre played much of his career for the Bulldogs, making 217 appearances between 2009 and 2018. Involved in both of the club's visits to grand finals, he also played 15 State of Origins - most of which were during his time at the Bulldogs.

He made his debut in sky blue during his season at the club and was a permanent fixture at centre for the Bulldogs, regularly regarded during his prime as one of the best defensive centres the game has had to offer.

On the other side of the park, the options aren't as strong. Kerrod Holland, Jamal Idris and Willie Tonga as well as Reimis Smith headline the names.

While Idris fell out of favour at the back end of his time in blue and white, he ultimately played 68 games during his time at the Bulldogs between 2008 and 2011, and was regularly one of the strongest players in a team who were always knocking on the door.

Halves: Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson

The Bulldogs have had plenty of strong options in the halves over the period - Moses Mbye, Kris Keating, Ben Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth all spent substantial time in the six and seven for the men from Belmore, but none come overly close to the status Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson have held in this side.

Reynolds played in both of the club's grand finals, being 2012 and 2014, ultimately winding up with 138 games in Bulldogs' colours between 2011 and 2017.

A crafty five-eighth and excellent ball-runner, Reynolds was a permanent force, hard to stop and played four State of Origins on the back of it.

In the 2014 grand final, he partnered Trent Hodkinson, with the Bulldogs making the grand final, and the duo steering the Blues to Origin success.

Hodkinson's success may have been short-lived, playing just 92 games for the Bulldogs being 2011 and 2015, but being involved in the 2012 season before being the key man in 2014 puts him in this team with a relative level of comfort over the opposition.

Middle forwards: James Graham, Aiden Tolman and Greg Eastwood

The Bulldogs have had some excellent middle forwards over the last decade and a half, and while some are the fact of the era where salary cap issues bit the club hard, they can't be overlooked for the period where the club did sit at the top of the NRL.

The four realistic starting options to hold jerseys eight, ten and thirteen are James Graham, Aiden Tolman, Greg Eastwood and David Klemmer, while Luke Thompson has also been fantastic in recent years.

James Graham, who was the inspirational leader of this side for a number of years is the first man selected, and will be partnered up front by Aiden Tolman.

They both played in the 2012 and 2014 grand finals, with Graham playing 135 games for the club between 2012 and 2017, and Tolman 222 between 2011 and 2020.

Eastwood played 177 in two stints being 2009, and 2011 through to 2018, starting at lock in both of the club's grand finals during the era. He also spent time at second row, but with the players there, he deserved the spot at lock.

Other players in consideration include Sam Kasiano, Adam Elliott, Jarrad Hickey and Chris Amit.

Hooker: Michael Ennis

Three players have held the number nine jersey for long stretches over the last 16 years at Belmore - Michael Ennis, Michael Lichaa and Jeremy Marshall-King.

Lichaa was able to show considerable talent during his time at Belmore, but never kicked on for a long career in the blue and white, while Marshall-King has improved as a stop-gap measure in recent years, but will now depart to the Dolphins without ever being able to recognise his potential or play in a successful team.

That leaves Michael Ennis.

He played 136 games for the Bulldogs between 2009 and 2014, featuring in both of the club's grand finals and turning himself into one of the game's best hookers, where he also made eight appearances for the New South Wales Blues.

The process of elimination makes the selection easy, but in truth, it was always going to take a lot to stop a Bulldogs' legend.

Second row: Andrew Ryan and Josh Jackson

To pick Sonny Bill Williams or not? That is the biggest question hanging over this second-row.

He might have been one of the game's best second-row options during his time in the NRL, but only playing a season and a half of this particular era makes it very difficult to justify his selection.

Particularly when Andrew Ryan and Josh Jackson have spent so much time at the club being successful.

Jackson has turned into a lock during the later part of his career, but spent his prime years, including both grand final years and a handful of Origin games, on the edge.

A machine in defence, Jackson also has plenty of attacking ability and his retirement with 241 games to his name at the end of 2022 hurts a rebuilding Bulldogs outfit more than anyone will understand.

Ryan, on the other hand, is a long-term club captain and while he hung up the boots at the end of 2011 with 218 Bulldogs games to his name, his career was excellent from start to finish.

Interchange: Moses Mbye, David Klemmer, Frank Pritchard and Sam Kasiano

Again there was a question to be pondered here over whether Sonny Bill Williams should be selected or not, but we have gone against that idea.

Instead, Moses Mbye will be taken as the utility, while David Klemmer and Sam Kasiano are taken as the middle forwards, just edging out Luke Thompson for a spot.

Frank Pritchard is the final selection on the bench as a long-term Bulldogs' star in the forwards.