- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Another team list Tuesday has come, and yet again Canterbury are unchanged after another loss.
The Bulldogs’ 20-6 defeat to Parramatta was their fifth in their last six games, placing them in 13th position – a generous spot given their lack of attacking prowess.
Canterbury have scored 264 points throughout their 2017 campaign, the next worst offensive team is the Wests Tigers, with 323 points. Compare that to the Broncos, who have scored 487 points, almost double Canterbury.
Let’s put these numbers into perspective. Nathan Cleary, the competition’s leading point scorer, has 176 points, two-thirds the Bulldogs.
Canterbury have 47 tries to their name, while Suliasi Vunivalu has 17 meatpies from 19 outings.
Goals scored? 38. Eleven players have been able to convert more than that so far in 2017.
Currently, Canterbury are averaging 13.2 points a game, leaving a projected total of 316.8. In the 2004 season, Hazem El Masri – easily the Bulldogs’ greatest clubman – singlehandedly scored 342, from 16 tries and 139 goals.
In fact, only one team in the last ten years has scored fewer than the Bulldogs’ projected 317, with the 2016 Newcastle Knights managing to put up just 305.
Both Manly and the Storm reached Canterbury’s projected season total of 317 after just 14 games.
Defensive efforts can only get you so far. Whatever happened to ‘The Entertainers’ title? Now that moniker has fallen by the wayside and a Canterbury game is likely to have the same effect as a Restoril pill.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby-league” name=”League”]
But enough about numbers, let’s get started on Des Hasler’s selection policy.
At the beginning of the season, he was criticised for his reluctance to start Matt Frawley and continual decisions to start Michael Lichaa at hooker. And rightly so. But Des really needs to take a look at the selections he is making across the board.
Hasler has blooded 25 players in 2017, five of those having appeared in all 20 outings (Adam Elliott, Aiden Tolman, Danny Fualalo, Josh Morris and Sam Kasiano). A further two have made 19 appearances (Michael Lichaa and Moses Mbye), while Josh Jackson has pulled on the blue and white 18 times, having been unavailable through Origin.
That’s all well and good, but when you compare Canterbury’s team in Round 1 to the 17 he has named for Round 23, you start to see just how reluctant he is to make changes.
Round 1
1. Will Hopoate, 2. Brett Morris, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Brenko Lee, 5. Kerrod Holland, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Moses Mbye, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Michael Lichaa, 10. James Graham, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Greg Eastwood, 13. David Klemmer
14. Sam Kasiano, 15. Danny Fualalo, 16. Adam Elliott, 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
Round 23
1. Will Hopoate, 2. Brett Morris, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Brenko Lee, 5. Marcelo Montoya, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Chase Stanley, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Moses Mbye, 10. James Graham, 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Adam Elliott, 13. David Klemmer
14. Sam Kasiano, 15. Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 16. Danny Fualalo, 17. Matt Frawley
There are only three personnel changes: Marcelo Montoya, Chase Stanley and Matt Frawley are in, while Kerrod Holland, Michael Lichaa and Greg Eastwood are out.
Of those three ins, only Stanley was unavailable in Round 1, while Eastwood is the only out due to injury.
Three personnel changes in a season which has been marred by a flat offence? No thanks, Des.
This ‘pick and stick’ model is the reason why Canterbury are going backwards.
Brenko Lee can drop back to NSW Cup, his defence simply doesn’t cut it in first grade. Hoppa and Josh Morris have had their chance. While it wouldn’t be the smartest decision to drop them due to their pay packets being so exorbitant, they don’t deserve to be in the first 17.
Reimis Smith and Richie Kennar should be running out for the first team, while Kerrod Holland, Brad Abbey, Kiko Manu and Jayden Okunbor are all knocking on the door.
As for the halves, Josh Reynolds has offered plenty of spark, yet possesses no kicking game. At the same time, Josh Cleeland is tearing apart the NSW Cup and is an attacking weapon, as evidenced in the past with Ipswich and Newtown. Cleeland is the playmaker Canterbury need, he more than deserves his NRL debut.
While he is not exactly a world-beating hooker, Moses Mbye is the best the Bulldogs have got for the moment, although Craig Garvey may give him a run for his money. The Dogs must play the waiting game at dummy-half and continue to develop Bronson Garlick and Joey Tramontana, and do the same with the development of Adam Keighran at five-eighth.
Canterbury once had the most formidable forward pack in the game yet now, but they have lost any hunger they had. Their bellies are full of Hasler’s concoction of codswallop and outdated tactics.
Tolman hasn’t offered anything in attack of late, he seems to just follow the Graham mould, yet doesn’t possess the ability to break the line. Des can’t play both at the same time, Canterbury need another dimension in attack that isn’t the two polar bears.
In fact, why not just rest Graham for the remainder of 2017 and give some young blokes a run, so that he doesn’t risk injury ahead of the World Cup? The writing’s on the wall and Des needs to take full advantage by preparing young players for 2018 – if he is to be around by then.
AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan
Kasiano doesn’t have what it takes to deliver for the Dogs anymore, although his arrival at the Storm next year should see him return to his best. A loyal club servant and local junior, Kasiano’s best days are behind him and Hasler won’t get anything more out of him.
As for the rest of the pack, Jackson continues to perform and should be named captain. The Gulgong product is everything the modern forward should be. He runs hard at the line, makes tackles, and knows when a play is on.
While Klemmer doesn’t have nearly as much passion in the blue and white than he does in the sky blue, he should remain at lock forward. Adam Elliott, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Danny Fualalo have been consistent and are good enough to warrant a place on the bench.
Who comes into the forward pack? Canterbury currently have a crop of forwards rearing to go. Andy Saunders proved what he could give in his debut against the Knights, while Francis Tualau has also taken advantage of every opportunity he has been given. Meanwhile, Rhyse Martin and Renouf To’omaga continue to prove themselves in the NSW Cup.
Bulldogs’ best 17
1. Brett Morris, 2. Reimis Smith, 3. Richard Kennar, 4. Chase Stanley, 5. Marcelo Montoya, 6. Josh Cleeland, 7. Josh Reynolds, 8. Francis Tualau, 9. Moses Mbye, 10. James Graham, 11. Josh Jackson (c), 12. Rhyse Martin, 13. David Klemmer
14. Aiden Tolman, 15. Andy Saunders, 16. Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 17. Adam Elliott
Des had the chance to build his squad and deliver success. Despite being in the role for the last six seasons, his best result to date was in 2012, when he was working with the team that Kevin Moore had built. Since then, everything has gone downhill.
With Aaron Woods and Kieran Foran arriving in 2018 will anything change? Don’t get your hopes up.
Des Hasler should not be at Belmore come 2018. The Dogs need someone who understands the club culture – the best men being either Dean Pay or Jim Dymock.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.