The only reason Arthur Laundy, a life-long Balmain supporter, got involved with Canterbury was to help his good friend Dean Pay.

There were ostensibly few other sound arguments for the pub baron to become involved midway through the 2020 season. The “Family Club” was riven by factionalism, languishing near the bottom of the NRL ladder and unable to attract anyone else as a major sponsor.

As far as favours to mates go, stumping up the cash to be emblazoned on the front of the Bulldogs jersey, even for a hotelier presiding over an empire now worth $1.75 billion, was a pretty big one.

“Dean has been a friend of mine since the 1980s, for about 45 years,” Laundy says. “He did as much as he could with the players he had, but we desperately needed to get some players.

“I only went on initiall

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