Stand-in captain Andrew Ryan, who ultimately make the winning tackle, stopping Roosters forward Michael Crocker from scoring the final seconds of the match. Warriors-bound club captain Steve Price missed the game due to injury sustained the week before in the semi-final victory against Penrith Panthers. Price's value and respect in the team was noticeable on Grand Final night when Ryan called up Price to hold the trophy and say a few words, whilst Johnathan Thurston gave Price his Grand Final ring. Following their Grand Final victory, the bulldogs traveled to England to play in the 2005 World Club Challenge against Super League premiers, the Leeds Rhinos. The match was played on 4 February 2005 at Elland Road in front of 37,208 with the home team coming out winners in the end of a high-scoring match, with a final scoreline of 39–32. 2005−2019 The Bulldogs were unable to mount a serious defence of the title in 2005 as injuries and contract negotiations saw the year start and finish on a sour note for the club. Due to the extent of injuries suffered, the team at times was unable to be at full-strength. This took its toll in the final six weeks of the season, the club suffering heavy losses and missing the finals series. In 2006, little was expected from the club after a lacklustre 2005 season, but despite some doubt over the strength of their side, the Bulldogs' impressive forward pack helped them to a better than expected result for the year, finishing just a game short of the Grand Final, in which they lost to eventual premiers the Brisbane Broncos. The 2008 season was a tumultuous one for the Bulldogs. They finished at the bottom of the ladder, but the main news of the season was the controversial departure of star player Sonny Bill Williams. A huge player recruitment drive saw the Bulldogs reverse their fortunes in the 2009 NRL season. Canterbury finished in second place during the 2009 and made it all the way to the preliminary final before they were defeated by arch rivals the Parramatta Eels in front of a record non-grand final crowd of 74,549. Canterbury had gone into the game as favourites despite Parramatta's dream run at the back end of the season. Alan Thompson, a long-time supporter of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, was appointed general manager of the club's football operations on 15 April