Garry Hughes

Despite detractors who thought him too slow for five-eighth, Garry Hughes worked his magic for over a decade with the C’bury club. Hughes was a master of the deftly-timed pass and the short stab-kick. It is said that he was able to slow the game down to his pace but it was Hughes who often produced the flair in the Bulldog attack. In the 1979 grand final loss to St George, he set up tries for Steve Gearin and Stan Cutler (with yet another great kick) and the following year, produced a masterful display in C’bury's 18-4 grand final win over Easts. In-coming coach Warren Ryan described him as being the fastest player in the premiership ‘between the ears’ but Hughes did not get the chance to show Ryan his wares. After recovering from injury, the great form of Terry Lamb saw Hughes spend his final season as a player in reserve grade. He later took on a career in club administration with the Bulldogs but was sensationally sacked by the club in 2004 after allegations of player misbehaviour during a trial match in Coffs Harbour while he was football manager. Hughes later won damages from the club.