All Hans coach Steve Hansen, who won the World Championship, is looking to create a cultural shift in the Bulldogs after agreeing to come on board as a mentor for new coach Trent Barrett.
Hansen’s appointment is a huge coup for the Bulldogs, who are on a recruiting course to change the past few seasons with poor results.
Hansen led the All Blacks through a period of unprecedented success during which he went undefeated in 2013 and held the World Cup in 2015, defeating Australia at Twickenham, London.
He revealed that Barrett asked for help after spending time with the All Blacks studying their surroundings and Hansen, no longer responsible for the Kiwis, was happy to get on board.
Hansen said he will be there to help Barrett create an environment in which success can be sustained after the Bulldogs recorded just three wins in 2020.
“The club itself has a rich history and if they are to be successful it means they have to spend a lot of time discussing with Trent, maybe to be a backboard for him and sometimes go left instead of right,” said Hansen .
“The most important thing is that he is the man in charge, and my job is to help him really create this environment.
“You’re in a very limited environment if you don’t have the right culture. You can only succeed if you have the right culture.
“If your culture is airy-fairy, so will your results. You may have success for a while, but it won’t happen in the long run. “
Hansen said there had to be “non-negotiable” with players who also needed to understand their place in the Bulldogs rich history.
“You have to understand who you are as a team. Who you represent and what history it has and what that means from a responsible point of view, ”he said.
“Certain things always have to happen in order for this environment to be right.
“One of the non-negotiable factors is that the team is more important than the individual. This way everyone can contribute to the team and make good decisions.
“No young athlete will ever be perfect, they will all make mistakes, sometimes they go left when they should go right.
“It’s a good opportunity to do another sport and I’m excited about it.”
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