- The Australian men’s cycling pursuit team won Olympic gold in 1984 and 2004.
- The Canterbury Bulldogs won football titles in the same years.
- Australian pursuit quartet wins gold again in Paris against Great Britain
- Some die-hard Bulldogs fans are convinced it’s an omen ahead of the NRL finals.
NRL Bulldogs fans are daring to dream big based on a bizarre Olympic pattern that could see them finish as champions in 2024.
In 1984, when Canterbury beat Parramatta 6-4 in the SCG Grand Final, the Australian men’s cycle pursuit team won gold at the Los Angeles Games that same year.
Two decades later, the Bulldogs lifted the Provan-Summons Trophy again following a hard-fought 16-13 victory over the Roosters at Sydney Olympic Park and, months earlier, in Athens, Australia won gold in the men’s cycling team event.
Fast forward to the Paris Games, where Australians Oliver Bleddyn, Conor Leahy, Kelland O’Brien and Sam Welsford combined to shock Great Britain, and football fans in Belmore began to get excited.
And with Cameron Ciraldo’s men currently sitting fifth in the NRL standings with finals looming, it begs the question: will lightning strike for a third time in a sporting sense?
“Go Mighty Bulldogs… great team, we can do it again,” one enthusiastic fan posted in response to Random Stats Guy’s Facebook post.
Another said: “The stars are aligning.”
A third chimed in: “These are the statistics I came to see.”
NRL Bulldogs fans are daring to dream based on a bizarre Olympic pattern that could see them finish champions in 2024 (Braith Anasta pictured, after winning the 2004 Grand Final)
In 1984 and 2004, when Australia’s men’s cycle pursuit team claimed Olympic gold, the Bulldogs later won their rugby league Grand Final. Will history repeat itself in 2024 after the Aussies (pictured) won in Paris?
Facebook page Random Stats Guy has alerted NRL Bulldogs fans to an omen they are happy to support.
Some Bulldogs fans might be accused of being greedy given the club hasn’t played a finals since 2016, but there’s no doubt they’re on the rise.
Led by new captain Stephen Crichton, Bulldogs championship winner Braith Anasta likes what he sees in Belmore.
“I think he (Crichton) has been their buy of the decade,” NRL 360 co-host Anasta said.
‘I don’t think he’s just the best centre in the competition, I think he’s behind Nathan (Cleary) at the moment as the best player in the game.
“He was a phenomenon, an incredible signing.”
And after seven wins from their last nine NRL games, Canterbury are primed to play in September after a tough few years in recent years.
On Saturday night, another resurgent team from this season, the Dragons, will host the Bulldogs at Kogarah Oval from 7.35pm AEST in what is shaping up to be a great suburban match.