The Bulldogs have produced some of the greatest rugby league players of all time and the black-tie event at Le Montage on August 1 will celebrate the contributions of its finest.

As well as announcing the inaugural inductees into the new Hall of Fame – which is considered Canterbury's version of the Immortals concept – the club will also name the team of the decade for the period from 2005 to 2014.

Canterbury officials have tasked an expert panel to sort through the many contenders in an exercise that will prompt spirited debate. The judging panel comprises Canterbury's former premiership-winning coach and Fairfax Media columnist Phil Gould, historian and journalist Ian Heads, former long-serving player and president Barry Nelson, statistician David Middleton and author Gary Lester.

Only a small number, likely to be between three and five greats, will be named as the first to enter the Hall of Fame. To qualify, contenders must have played at least 100 first-grade games and displayed traits that embody "the spirit and values of the Bulldogs".

The club and the judges were giving nothing away, but it's expected legendary figures of the calibre of Steve Mortimer and Terry Lamb figured prominently in voting.

The blue and whites have held several to celebrate their anniversary, including staging the first of two matches at their spiritual home of Belmore Oval. But the 80th anniversary dinner is considered the high point as current players connect with their predecessors and embrace the rich history of the club.

"It's a night to celebrate not only the Bulldogs but rugby league at a club that has been around for 80 years and had an impact on the rugby league landscape for a long time," said Canterbury chief executive Raelene Castle.

"It's about taking time to stop and celebrate those people."

The composition of the team of the decade caused the judging panel plenty of headaches. In order to be eligible for one of the 17 spots, contenders needed to notch 50 NRL matches for Canterbury while also embodying "the spirit and values of the Bulldogs". The panelists agonised over whether some stars didn't fit the latter parameters, but it appears few players were scratched as a result.

"We talked about blokes like Sonny Bill Williams, Willie Mason and Ben Barba, who at times may not have been in the good books of the club," revealed Middleton, who grappled with the same issues as a judge on the Immortals panel.

"We probably came to the conclusion the process would look a bit silly if we ignored the ability of players because of things they might have done contractually or otherwise.

"If Sonny Bill, for instance, was the standout second-rower of the decade - and I don't know how the [result] ended up - we were pretty keen to push his claims despite stuff that had happened."

The Bulldogs will review the Hall of Fame process on a bi-annual basis, while a new team of the decade will be unveiled every 10 years.

"They are always tough exercises, they are a great challenge," Heads said.

"I think it's 43 internationals that have played for the Bulldogs over the years so the Hall of Fame becomes a real challenge. There are many quality players and both tasks are very difficult.

"It's hard with the Bulldogs, they have had great success over the years and won eight premierships. There is a hell of a lot of quality there. The healthy thing is it stimulates debate. People might argue, say we are mugs and we should have picked someone else. You expect that, that's healthy and it's been that way in rugby league since 1908."