Disgruntled Canterbury supporters will get the opportunity to grill Des Hasler after the premiership-winning coach made himself available to face tough questions at a fan forum next week.
Hasler was accused of ducking frustrated fans after failing to front a scheduled meet-and-greet session following the devastating 38-0 loss to the Panthers.
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Panthers pummel Bulldogs
Penrith scored seven tries to zero in an embarrassing defeat for the Bulldogs.
The absence angered long-suffering supporters, who were demanding answers after the Bulldogs suffered their fourth consecutive loss.
The club has apologised for Hasler's no-show after the former Manly mentor was held up due to post-game commitments.
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In an attempt to provide an open dialogue with the supporter base, Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle has written to members to invite them to the open forum, which will also include chairman Ray Dib and senior forward Aiden Tolman.
"On behalf of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, I would like to invite you to the Bulldogs members forum to be held from 7pm until 9pm this coming Tuesday the 13th of June in the Blueberry Hill Room at the Canterbury League Club," Castle wrote.
"Due to space restrictions, attendance will be available to the first 300 members to RSVP only.
"I am sure many of you will have seen the media suggesting Des deliberately avoided the member function on Sunday night. This is not correct. He will be at the members forum next week alongside Ray Dib, Aiden Tolman and I to answer your questions. James Graham unfortunately will not be able to attend due to his commitments with NRL 360."
Members have been asked to submit their questions in advance, to ensure the main issues are addressed, although the floor will be opened up to further questions.
Castle said it was important to maintain an open dialogue with fans.
"Ray and I have had regular forums where we have faced the members to talk about the Bulldogs and let them ask us questions," Castle said. "It's also important we give our members an opportunity to hear from Des first hand."
The Bulldogs are under pressure after an underwhelming start to the season. Officials extended the tenure of Hasler after six rounds, with some pundits questioning the decision after the club lost five of its past six games. The mood of the fans won't improve if they suffer another defeat to the high-flying Dragons on Monday.
Canterbury captain Graham was adamant Hasler was the man to get them out of a difficult period.
"You've got to trust there will be hard times in a season," Graham said. "In a career as a player and coach, you've got to trust there will be hard times. This is a challenging time for us.
"When was the last time that Des missed the finals? Can you remember? I can't. The challenge is to get there, so it's about how we're going to do that. We all acknowledge that we need to be better than we have been on Sunday. Losing four on the spin is a tough time, but we're up to the challenge, all of us.
"Everybody in this group is up for this challenge. I'm doing everything I can and I'm confident in saying the boys will be doing everything they can to fight themselves out of this hole."
The Bulldogs haven't missed the finals during the five years Hasler has been at the helm, and Graham believed that record could be kept intact.
"I still think there is something worth fighting for this season," Graham said. "I don't think it, I know that. I've seen the signs in there between the playing group and what we're about. I see the things at training and I know the season can be turned around. We're doing everything to make that happen."
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