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As the days slowly but surely start to get longer after the recent winter solstice, the temperature keeps dropping, the playing surface becomes dewy and the big men of the Bulldogs start to excel.
Something has happened over the past month or two that has seen Canterbury-Bankstown start to impress, as people’s minds gravitate towards the final make up of the top eight and the mouth watering thought of potential semi-final match-ups.
The Dogs’ challenge under the reign of Des Hasler has always been to ‘hang on’ through the early rounds of the competition, often played in warmer weather, and wait for the latter part of the year to play a more expansive game and build momentum leading into the semi-finals.
On cold, wet and greasy nights in the depths of winter the Bulldogs do their best work and their demolition of Brisbane on Saturday night was an embodiment of that.
The dilemma for the Dogs is that they have found it very difficult to gain a top-four spot in recent years due to the distance they find themselves from the pace setters in the NRL. This year Cronulla and Melbourne have set that pace and the leap from fifth place, where they currently sit, to a top-four position is only a win away.
Every year of Hasler’s reign has seen the same pattern. In 2012 the Bulldogs won sixteen of their last 17 through the winter months only to be outplayed by Melbourne on the big stage.
In 2013 they only managed to win four of their first ten in the milder weather before climbing to sixth at seasons end.
Another grand final awaited in 2014 and a winter stretch of nine out of twelve matches saw them have enough up their sleeve, despite a few injuries and losses right at the death throes of the season.
To confirm the pattern, the Dogs won ten of their last twelve to finish fifth in 2015. This season has been as inconsistent as any under the current coach.
Yet on Saturday night I saw signs of a powerhouse unit that might just be setting up a similar run home to what they have accomplished in the past.
The Dogs are huge, we all know that. The tweaks to the interchange have caused teams to trim some of the bigger men down and extend the minutes of some of the other forwards.
Much was made of Sam Kasiano’s weight loss early in the year. He looked great, but the speed of the ruck contest still challenged him at times.
The last month has seen him start to excel, as the night air and slippery surface starts to take a step or two away from the smaller men and keeps him just that little bit fresher. Night football has always suited the Bulldogs.
Klemmer goes from strength to strength and the confidence he must feel as a must pick in the Blues side is obvious.
His leg drive, work rate and defensive output are outstanding. The James Graham and Aiden Tolman show just grinds on. There is little flair, although Graham still has the propensity to pop a ball every now and then, yet July and August are the months where the style of play that these two men rely on will be most effective.
That leaves us with the mysterious case of Tony Williams who, on Saturday night, hit a hole like he hasn’t done for four and a half years. I wrote about this man only a month ago.
Tony Williams deservingly dropped for un-Bulldog-like behaviour. I’d like to think he read the article and responded with his two best ever games for the club, however, upcoming contract talks and a stint in reserve grade look to have finally woken up T-Rex.
The absence of Will Hopoate and Brett Morris made things tough earlier in the year. Morris’ performance on Saturday showed just how dangerous the backline can be when at something like full strength.
Josh Morris was a late withdrawal which only adds more weight to the potential building of the Dogs season. A backline with the Morris twins, Hopoate and Curtis Rona might just be able to punch a few holes in any defence.
The Broncos were weakened with six players backing up from Origin two yet the dogs also had Josh Jackson, who topped the tackle count for New South Wales, and David Klemmer on double duty. Jackson’s new-found ball play has been obvious in the last few months and it has changed him from a toiling backrower to a much more significant threat in attack.
The absence of Josh Morris also caused a reshuffle in the backline that normally upsets the Bulldogs structure immensely.
There was something different in the way they went about it against the Broncos. More speed around the ruck, more willingness to offload and instead of attacking on play five and six alone, there was more expansive passing and thinking earlier in the tackle count.
The big question for the boys from the inner west is whether they have a pair of halves who can create enough chances against top quality opposition in big games. Moses Mbye looks great on the run in the open field yet he still doesn’t throw enough deft balls and put fringe runners into holes often enough.
Josh Reynolds sweeps across field and creates doubt in defences. Unfortunately, at times, he appears to be the only person who knows exactly what he is doing.
They are a little unconventional as a halves pairing and the reliance on the forwards has played a key role in creating their unconvincing combination.
In saying that, there are signs that Mbye is blooming as a player and with time, may become the five to ten year halfback and leader that the Club has been searching for.
Reynolds will always be Reynolds; an annoying competitor who has the ability to produce great plays in spite of general doubt of his talent. I think that is just how Reynolds likes it.
Of course, the run that this team looks set to begin is predicated by one simple thing – injuries. The solidity of the team at the moment and the return of Morris and Hopoate might just be the catalyst for the launch.
The lack of wounded members of this pack will be the key. Five more weeks of consistency in team selection will get the run going. The absence of Sunday games in the run to the semi-finals might also be an advantage!
In watching the performance against the Broncos for the second time this morning, I couldn’t help but see the similarities with Hasler’s teams of the previous four years.
For all the other clubs, they had better be ready as the size, speed and power of this team, in this mood, could be unstoppable if they can indeed get rolling. The winter is here and thus, the Dogs are here.
It is time for the traditional charge. If it does happen again it will be plenty of fun to watch.