'I was once that fan': Kiraz, Hayward ready to party like 2014

Jacob Kiraz has vowed to join the party on the streets of Belmore if the Bulldogs win the grand final as he and Bailey Hayward recounted to team-mates their experiences of the celebrations during previous finals campaigns.

Kiraz and Hayward have never played a finals match, but the Canterbury juniors grew up supporting the club and have been telling team-mates what to expect if the Bulldogs beat Manly on Sunday.

Hayward, who has established himself as a bench utility this season, and Kiraz were just 13 years of age when the Bulldogs last made a grand final in 2014 but the pair can vividly remember the scenes on the streets of Belmore.

“I had a family friend that lived just on the side of the main road in Belmore and he’d have a barbecue every grand final, in 2012 and 2014,” Hayward said.

“In the weeks leading up to it, you wouldn't be able to drive your car up and down Belmore Road. It would just be packed with fans. You’ve seen nothing like it.

“I believe we’ve got the best fans in the world, in sport, and even when we're playing away in New Zealand, you've still got the streets of Belmore packed with people.

“It’s so special and it's so good for the community. We love representing the fans and, hopefully we can do them proud.”

Kiraz, who has played every match for the Bulldogs this season, grew up supporting the club and would attend games with his family.

When the Bulldogs made the 2012 and 2014 grand finals, they joined the celebrations on the streets of Belmore.

“It’s amazing, every time someone mentions it, I pinch myself because I remember those grand finals and I went to the streets of Belmore like everyone is doing now,” Kiraz said.

A lot of the boys are shocked, but I was once that fan so I know what it is like.

“When I throwback to when I was a kid, how big the fans are … honestly, we have got the best fans in the world.

“My brothers after games are like, ‘bro, lets go to Belmore, it’s going off.’ I’m like, ‘nah'. After we win the comp I’ll go to Belmore.”

Kiraz, who was the club's 2022 Rookie of the Year, played his juniors for St Johns Eagles, while Hayward - this season's Bulldogs Rookie of the Year award winner - played for St George Dragons in the Canterbury competition.

The pair also played at the World Cup in 2022, with Kiraz being one of the stars for Lebanon and Hayward making his debut for Scotland.

“My grandmother was born in Scotland so we’ve got family there and it's something I hold very, very close to my heart,” Hayward said.

“I hadn't played NRL at that stage, but going over there and playing in the World Cup, being with the coaching staff and the players - some of them played Super League and are really, really good - helped me a lot and I came back a better player.

“You're also playing against the best players in the world, we played against Australia, so it gave me a little bit of a taste and it definitely made me hungry coming back for pre-season and just wanting to work harder.”

Hayward, who made his NRL debut in Round 6, has sporting pedigree with his sister Paige playing in the A-League women’s competition and grandfather Paul playing 77 matches for Newtown from 1973 to 1978.

“It's a big honour to represent my family name and obviously, my grandfather,” he said.

“I’ve struggled to find much footage of him playing but he played with some great players and in some great teams, and people are always saying how good a player he was and how tough and gritty he was.

“I think that sort of resembles in my game and a lot of my effort areas. I just try and work as hard as I possibly can and I sort of base my game off being tough and gritty.”

A tough and skilful five-eighth, Paul Hayward was also selected to represent Australia in boxing at the 1976 Olympic Games but was ruled ineligible as he wasn’t considered an amateur because of his rugby league earnings.

Hayward later served more than 10 years in a Bangkok jail after being arrested for heroin smuggling at the end of the 1978 season and died at home in Sydney in 1992.