That's All Folkes: last home game coach
After 30 years of blood sweat and tears, Steve Folkes' time with the Bulldogs scarcely deserved to end this way.
Walking off ANZ Stadium to the applause of just a handful of dedicated fans, Folkes had just coached the Bulldogs at home for the last time - a 36-22 loss to Brisbane which all but consigned the blue and whites to the wooden spoon.
"It's obviously a fairly emotional day for me, this year hasn't been great, that's been pretty well documented I guess," Folkes said.
"The fact that I had 30 pretty good years here both as a player and in a coaching capacity - it's a career I'm proud of.
"I'm happy with the job that I've done, I leave here pretty content I guess." Asked if he shed a tear as he watched highlights from his time at the club, Folkes said: "I didn't but it's not beyond me.
"It does get to you a bit.
"The realisation that I'm not actually working here is probably when I drive into my next venue of employment, wherever that may be.
"I don't think you really appreciate the fact that you've been somewhere for 30 years until your somewhere else.
No doubt Folkes' fondest memories will not involve any feats of 2008, a year which has seen the club struggle on and off the field.
The likely wooden spoon would be the club's first since 2002, when they were consigned to the bottom of the ladder after they rorted the salary cap.
The last time they finished last based purely on performance was 1965, Folkes hoping the poor finish to his time at the club would not haunt him into the future having already been overlooked for coaching positions at Super League clubs Huddersfield and Warrington.
"Prior to this year my winning record was about 60 per cent, which is up there with the top two or three," Folkes said.
"I hope that the way we've performed this year doesn't impact too much on my prospects.
"In an ideal world that's what I want to continue to do is coach rugby league.
"I think I've still got plenty to offer.
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