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Bulldogs need to fix their No. 1 problem

14th March, 2014
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Former Bronco, now Titan Josh Hoffman (Photo: www.photosport.co.nz)
Roar Rookie
14th March, 2014
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The fullback position has evolved into arguably the most important position on the rugby league field.

Their impact was clear to see in Round 1 when both Brett Stewart and Darius Boyd succumed to injuries, resulting in losses for both Manly and Newcastle.

The role of the fullback is no longer to simply organise the defensive live and return the ball from kicks. They need to have the ability to read the play, be creative and have speed to cause a headache for the opposition.

Ben Barba is a player with all of the above attributes and more. The Bulldogs lost him in the off-season and have failed to replace him since.

They desperately need a fullback. Instead, they this week signed a prop for an incredible amount of money.

Canterbury chief executive Raelene Castle still believes they have the money to secure a top fullback. The problem for the Bulldogs is that top-class fullbacks are hard to come by, and it is highly unlikely that they will secure one for the rest of this season.

Sam Perrett has been chosen to fill the void for the second successive week. He is a competent player, a solid finisher and generally safe under the high ball.

The problem is that he lacks the X-factor required to create opportunities and capitalise on set plays. Considering he has played most of his career on the wing, you can hardly blame him.

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The Bulldogs struggled in their Round 1 clash against the Broncos. They ran through their set plays well enough, however Perrett seemed to be worrying about the play rather than playing what’s in front of him.

On one occasion in the first half they created space on the edge and the correct decision of running through a gap could have developed into a try.

Perrett hesitated and passed the ball to his centre instead, allowing the defence time to slide and close the gap. His ball-playing skills have a long way to go if the Bulldogs are going to successfully use him from the back.

Canterbury have been linked to a number of players in their search for a fullback, including Josh Hoffman and Josh Dugan, while recent rumours suggest they are targeting Manly’s Peta Hiku in some sort of trade.

The most likely outcome seems to be Hoffman, however 2015 is looking to be the earliest they can secure his services.

This means that Des Hasler needs to make a decision for the rest of this season. Does he stick with Sam Perrett? Or does he try more dynamic players such as Josh Morris or Krisnan Inu?

The problem with the latter is that the move will weaken other positions.

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The final option would be to throw a youngster into the position, however Hasler has proved to be very conservative with his team selections over his career with Manly and Canterbury.

The Bulldogs take on a severely depleted Sharks side this weekend and they should win comfortably.

Perrett will remain at fullback for the time being, but it will be a difficult 2014 for the Bulldogs as they lack creativity in the halves and no longer have a spark from the back.

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