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NRL: Bulldogs are 100 per cent behind Hasler - Graham

Canterbury Bulldogs captain James Graham has thrown his support behind Des Hasler, insisting the players are 100 per cent committed to the embattled coach.

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Hasler looked set to lose his job almost a fortnight ago amid unrest from some sections of the Bulldogs board, namely club legend Steve Mortimer.

Instead, the two-time NRL premiership-winning coach survived - for at least another season - with Mortimer delivering on his promise to resign should former Manly Sea Eagles boss Hasler be retained.

The situation has threatened to unravel the Bulldogs, but Graham says his team-mates are ready to fight for Hasler in 2017.

"A lot of people involved in the club are very passionate, they care, they love the club, it means everything to them," England international Graham told Omnisport, speaking at the Four Nations launch at Anfield.

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"Des works so hard and we all want to be in the same place. Some people have some different opinions. I don't really know exactly what people have said, so it's hard for me to make a comment but I realise I've got a responsibility to do that. Everybody wants to work hard.

"Myself, I am 100 per cent behind Des and I believe the playing group are. We've spoken about that and we all want Des to be there and we all want to work hard under him."

Since arriving in 2011, Hasler has guided the Bulldogs to two Grand Finals, while the Canterbury outfit have never missed the play-offs during his five-year reign.

Despite that and the fact he has one year remaining on his contract, Hasler's position came under threat after the Bulldogs crashed out of the finals in week one.

The Bulldogs, who finished seventh in the standings, ended last season with four consecutive defeats.

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Graham added: "Everyone's disappointed with how the season turned out and how it finished. I think it's fair to say we were a little bit up and down throughout the year, but we're all determined to get where everybody wants the club to be.

"We're all going to work really hard - the playing group, the staff, the coach, everybody involved in that club wants success. And there's very high expectations on us there but that's something that we have to deal with, that's pressure, it's a privilege to have that pressure. That's why we do what we do. I'm very sure that everybody working there is working hard to get us where we want to be."

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