True Blues Johnny Greaves, Steve Folkes and Hazem El Masri have been inducted into the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Hall of Fame as the club celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2025.
Greaves, now 81, was a stellar centre scoring five tries in seven games for NSW (1966-67) and five tries in his 12 games for Australia (1966-68), including winning the 1968 World Cup Final against France.
He also scored 38 tries in 112 games for the Bulldogs and was one of the keys to the Belmore club making its first grand final in more than 20 years in 1967, which unfortunately resulted in a close 12-10 win to South Sydney.
Greaves’ Hall of Fame blazer was accepted by his niece, Kim Childs (pictured below) at a gala dinner in Sydney Town Hall last night. Greaves was also part of the Bulldogs 50-year and 70-year anniversary teams.
Folkes is one of the club’s most decorated second-rowers winning four premierships with the Bulldogs – 1980, 1984, 1985, 1988 – alongside nine Origins for NSW (1986-88) including the 3-0 whitewash of the Maroons in 1986, and five Tests for Australia.
Folkes also coached Canterbury-Bankstown to the 2004 NRL Premiership and is a former head coach of the Jillaroos. He died in February 2018 at age 59, with his daughter Hayley Folkes (pictured below) last night accepting his blazer.
El Masri, who was better known as ‘Magic’ to his teammates, was in that 2004 side scoring a try and kicking two goals in the 16-13 win over the Sydney Roosters.
He accumulated 2,418 points over 14 seasons as a one-club player. His proud record includes 317 games, 159 tries and 891 goals.
El Masri scored a try and kicked three goals in the 18-4 win by NSW over Queensland at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in Game Three of the 2007 series.
He is also a dual international having played Tests for both Lebanon and Australia.
