Bob Hagan: Canterbury Bulldogs player, coach and CEO dies aged 85
Canterbury are in mourning on the eve of the NRL season after the death of legendary club identity Bob Hagan at 85.
Hagan was the only man to play first grade for, coach and serve as chief executive of the Bulldogs and had been involved with the club since 1967.
He became a regular in the centres en route to that year’s grand final loss to South Sydney, the Bulldogs’ first appearance in the decider for two decades.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Hagan played 45 first-grade games for the Bulldogs, captaining the side 11 times and representing NSW during his three-year stint with the club.
“The Bulldogs wish to pay their respects to Bob. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” the Bulldogs wrote in a statement.
A Brisbane native, he had turned out for Queensland and Australia in the early 1960s when he began his playing career in the Sunshine State.
Hagan later returned to the Bulldogs as coach for the 1971 and 1972 seasons and held a 52 per cent winning record.
His younger brother Michael kept the family name at the club in two premiership wins in the 1980s and went on to coach Queensland, Parramatta and Newcastle.
The older Hagan was chief executive officer of the Bulldogs for seven years from 1996, eventually leaving in the wake of the club’s major salary cap breaches in 2002.
Prior to that, he served as inaugural president of the Gold Coast Giants.
Hagan celebrated his 85th birthday in January and is survived by two sons.
