Relaxed Dufty on quest to repay Bulldogs for “second chance”

Rapid-fire fullback Matt Dufty only has one goal this year: repay the Canterbury Bulldogs for giving him a second lease on NRL life as the no.1 in the Sydney club’s refreshed and renewed footy lineup.

“I’m loving my time at the Dogs,” the ex-Dragon told The Sporting News.

“Footy is footy, training is training, it’s the same old. I’ve been doing it all a while now. All the signings we’ve got, we’ve got a lot of boys with points to prove — myself included. It’s a really good feeling, we’re expected to win games, and the Dogs haven’t had that in a while.

“For mine, I just want to play good footy and repay the Dogs and the opportunity they have given me. We’ve got a lot to improve on. If we just hold the ball, we will win games. We can score points, we’ve just got to give ourselves the opportunity.

“I want to get wins here. It would be nice to see a club that’s struggled the past few years,” the 26-year-old speedster said on the eve of the 2022 NRL season, “to bounce back and make the eight.”

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There was a time at the end of last year when Dufty was bracing himself for life after footy. His 82 games with the St George Illawarra Dragons had certainly been a mixed bag, and youngsters were supplanting him at the Red V. The speedster was a Saints junior, but that didn’t hold much sway with other club products coming through.

That’s when the Bulldogs, midway through an overhaul, came knocking.

Dufty was only tabled a one-year deal with the blue-and-whites, but it was more than enough for him. It meant his footy career, which had started suddenly back in 2017 via a Dragons call-up, was going to continue — at least for now.

The Bulldogs have tipped Dufty as their no.1 to start the year. His first game comes against the Cowboys on Sunday. His single-season package is the furthest thing on his mind, right now.

“I’m just getting through pre-season and wanting to start the year good,” Dufty said. “Whatever happens, happens and obviously I am loving my time at the Dogs at the moment. If I come out and play good footy, it just gives myself options. The more you stress about it, the more it tends to take up everything in your life.

He continued: “I want to come out and play some good footy and get some wins for the Doggies, they are due for some and the squad we have got at the moment could bring a few.”

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One date circled on the calendar for Dufty is the Doggies’ meeting with the Dragons, in round 12. The two teams have a long-standing Sydney rivalry, but for Dufty there’s no hate there, even after he was booted out for young starlet Tyrell Sloan.

“Dragons will always be special to me,” he admitted.

“They gave me my opportunity to debut. Me and Mary got along really well, no matter what anyone in the media said, we actually got along really well off the field and we were good mates. Hook as well, that [the pair’s public feud] was blown so far out of proportion. Me and Hook are both professionals, footy is a business and I’ve got no hard feelings.

“Hook is a good coach. You’ve seen the Dragons in the trials. They’re looking good. Footy is footy, it is what it is. Dragons will always be special to me, I’ve had a lot of good memories there.”

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