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I just don’t know what to make of the Bulldogs in 2016. After 21 rounds of the competition, the Canterbury Bulldogs are well positioned on the competition ladder, and destined for another finals campaign.
However their performances have been so maddeningly up and down, they make yo-yos look even-keeled in comparison.
No one knows which Bulldogs side will show up from week to week, let alone in September.
Will it be the crisp, fluent, cohesive unit that bullies opposition teams into submission? Or perhaps the directionless, clunky rabble who struggle with basic fundamentals such as tackling and counting to six?
Despite Canterbury residing in the top eight for much of the season, there has been very little buzz around the side. The scintillating form of Brisbane and North Queensland dominated headlines early in the year.
By the time Easter rolled around, reckless speculation on the make-up of the Blues team was in full swing, and focus had shifted to criticising Laurie Daley for team selections he was yet to make.
Factor in the romance of a Cronulla fairy tale, the weekly controversies at Parramatta, and the ongoing Hayne-Brain-Drain, and there has been precious little ink spilled on Des and his Dogs. And that’s exactly the way Hasler likes it.
The Bulldogs’ mentor is a master of having his teams fly under the radar. He manipulates the media hounds with a deft finesse that belies his rough, prickly exterior.
Since his arrival at Belmore in 2011, Des has continually shifted the focus and pressure away from his squad at every opportunity. He is known to use press conferences to unapologetically gush over opposing teams like a 16-year-old, lovesick Nickelback groupie (if they had any).
And it’s hard to argue with the results.
Hasler led the Bulldogs to the Grand Final in his maiden season in Blue and White, and then again two years later. Sure, Canterbury lost both deciders, but no one can discount the effort it took to get there.
However since that Grand Final defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm, the blinding shine of Hasler’s coaching star has started to dull. The Bulldogs barely came out of the gate in 2015, dropping six of their first ten games, before a late rally saw them finish the season in fifth place.
After being afforded the luxury of a week one Finals gimme against the Dragons, Canterbury were quickly dispatched from the finals by the Roosters.
In 2016, the Bulldogs started the season by trading wins and losses with the manic proficiency of Jordan Belford. They have steadied the ship recently, stringing together a few wins here and there, but have done so in unconvincing fashion.
Friday’s gruesome effort against the flame retardant Dragons was a perfect microcosm of Canterbury’s season. Up against a St George side that goes into anaphylactic shock at the very sight of the opposition try line, the Bulldogs produced a display of equal parts heroic goal-line defence and elementary unforced errors.
Their forwards routinely poked their noses through the Dragons defensive line, creating half chances with encouraging regularity. And yet, just when their attack was starting to gel, they would meekly hand over possession through ineffective fifth tackle options.
As has been the case for most of the season, human tripwire Josh Reynolds was the difference in the game. The scrappy five-eighth has managed to cork the brain farts that have putrefied much of his career while consistently elevating his level of play, and was unlucky not to earn a NSW recall.
Yet despite Reynolds’ upward trend, the Bulldogs seem to be heading in the opposite direction.
So what has led the Dogs a-stray? Has Des Hasler’s coaching style lost its edge? Perhaps recruitment is missing the mark? Or are the players simply not up to scratch? It’s not an easy thing to pinpoint.
On paper, Canterbury are one of the strongest sides in the competition. Their roster is packed with blue chip talent across the board, the front office has the stability of an aircraft carrier, and their club facilities are among the best in the league.
On the field, the Bulldogs boast a forward pack unrivalled in depth and talent. Jurassic passengers aside, their performances have been outstanding in 2016. And the outside backs are no slouches either. Will Hopoate is enjoying a career renaissance after two torturous seasons at Parramatta, the Morris twins remain solid if not spectacular, and Sam Perrett continues to function as a backline Swiss army knife.
The source of Canterbury’s woes can be traced back to the halfback position. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big Moses Mbye fan, and believe he will develop into a quality first grader down the track. But he isn’t there yet.
Despite possessing more tools than Al Borland, Mbye just hasn’t progressed as expected this season. His running game remains dangerous, but his organisational capabilities have flagged. This is particularly evident with the lack of polish applied to the end of too many Canterbury sets. All too often the Dogs are unable to force repeat sets of six, and their attacking kicks put the opposition under less pressure than Stephen Hawking sitting the NAPLAN.
In the past, Hasler has always had an organisational halfback to deliver his game plan. Early in his Manly days, it was the underrated Michael Monaghan, followed by the overrated Matt Orford.
Trent Hodkinson and Kieran Foran soon followed, with Hasler luring the former to Belmore soon after his Canterbury appointment. But when Des decided not to re-sign then-current NSW halfback Hodkinson, everybody simply took it for granted that he had a master plan. Apparently not.
So if the halfback position is the problem, how can Des fix it? The answer to that question might be just a phone call away. Parramatta was an awful environment for Kieran Foran. There was more crap flowing through the joint than a Clean-Away truck. For a man struggling with relationship issues, addiction, and mental health concerns, Las Vegas might have been a safer
spot. Walking away from the club might have left a sour taste in the mouths of many, but leaving the Eels was critical for Foran to move forward.
Canterbury represents the perfect lifeline. The family club, led by a coach and father-figure in Des Hasler, can offer Foran the time and support to resurrect his career and his reputation. Raelene Castle is an outstanding administrator, and would be welcome relief from the peanuts recently shelled at Parramatta.
More importantly, the Bulldogs already have a stable of established and commanding leaders in the form of James Graham, Josh Morris and Josh Reynolds. Foran could focus on himself and his performances within the team, rather than being burdened with the responsibility of being the next Terry Lamb.
With talk of Canterbury looking to offload Michael Lichaa and shift Moses Mbye to hooker, the move makes too much sense for both parties not to happen. Unfortunately for Canterbury fans, common sense and rugby league often make poor bedfellows.