After yesterday’s performance many Bulldogs fans are looking towards next year, after coming off a 38-0 thumping at the hands of Penrith.
The Bulldogs are on a four-game losing streak and yesterday proved they are not a team in finals contention. Missing 48 tackles, combined with a completion rate of 68 per cent any team in the NRL will be lucky to win a game.
Further, that lack of regard for ball security and defensive pressure was not compensated for in attack where they managed one line break all day.
This line break was by their shining light this season Brenko Lee who has managed nine try assists this season. If we want to put this into perspective Matt Frawley, Josh Reynolds and Moses Mybe have managed six all season combined.
Lee has 30 offloads this season (4th in the game) and eight linebreak assists (5th in the game). If you were the Bulldogs board and coaching staff you would start to look at his contract as he will be a player in demand when he is off contract next season.
Many pundits and commentators will say the Dogs were missing three key players: Josh Reynolds, James Graham and Brett Morris.
Reynolds is the blood and soul of the Bulldogs, however, even with him on the field yesterday combined with the go forward and passing game of James Graham and Brett Morris’ finishing ability it would have been close to the same score line.
Although these players have a great influence in the Bulldogs, yesterday’s performance stemmed from a lack of aggression.
David Klemmer looked like he had an Origin hangover, coupled with Sam Kasiano – who is a shell of his former self – there was a lack of forward movement.
Further, yesterday’s performance placed further hype and pressure on Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods for 2018 to help the Dogs get over the line.
If we dissect both players first starting with Kieran Foran. Foran is not an organising half at Manly Hodkinson and Cherry-Evans organised the team while he just ran off them.
For example as seen at the Warriors Foran relies on Shaun Johnson to control the game and organise the team, this has not been happening thus Foran’s influence has been diminished, in contrast, his time at Parramatta Corey Norman directed the team around the park and this allowed Foran to play his true game.
As Des sees Mybe as the future half he will need to develop Moses into an organising half or Foran will not be able to play his true game.
Now onto Aaron Woods. A great man once said one too many chefs spoil the broth. The Dogs have a substantial top end prop investment in Woods, Graham, Klemmer, Kasiano and Aiden Tolman.
A couple of these players will have to leave in order to fit Woods in under the salary cap.
There are already rumours circulating around a possible Klemmer exit and Newcastle is circling for Graham. If they keep all these forwards they will struggle to get the minutes out of these forwards in order to have the greatest impact.
Finally, the decision to extend Hasler’s contract was a rushed one. The Canterbury Board was meant to come to a decision at Round 10 instead they made a rushed call to sign him on for another two years.
They did not wait to see the facts or make Hasler perform for results. It is now on Hasler and his coaching legacy to perform with Woods and Foran coming to the club.
Foran is a Hasler product from his Manly days and has been wanting him to come to the Dogs for a while. He has now got his players, he has had enough time to put his systems in place.
He has taken the Dogs to two grand finals, however, failed to get over the hump. In 2018 and 2019 season his Hasler’s legacy is on the line.
Andrew
Guest
I hope not, dogs supporters whining there backsides off is like listening to sweet sweet music
Andrew
Guest
FM, Hoppa has been your best player and you all wont to change him LOL's.
Nostradamus
Guest
i think its a massive over reaction about the Dogs, Morris, Reynolds and Graham will make a huge difference. And imo I think B.Morris should be the Fullback and move Hoppa to the wing
steveng
Roar Rookie
The first thing and a good starter is to give the ANZ stadium 'a big miss' as their home ground!! They look pretty poor at that stadium even when they have 30k. The Dogs look like a tired and uninspiring side that has run out of options just like my Rabbitohs do. lol
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
I like your thinking Charlie.
Charlie Carroll
Guest
Based on the current roster we need to change it up 1.Mbye 2.Smith 3.Hoppa 4.Lee 5.Kennar 6.Reynolds 7.Frawley 8.Tolman 9.Woolford 10. Graham 11.Jackson 12.Elliot 13.RFM 14.Klemmer 15.Fualolo 16.Martin 17.Talau 18.Cleeland 19.Griffin 20.Saunders 21.Kasiano Saved almost $2 million without Morris twins and Lichaa and both Woolford and Martin kick goals and when Reynolds and Kasiano go you've already blooded their replacements
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Points per game have fallen from the previous season 4 of the past 5 seasons at the Dogs. This year is looking like 5 from 6. He hasn't changed his game plan nor recruited to fix this. His back line recruit was Brenko Lee. He did nothing to address his spine, with Foran more good luck then good management. He has lost what seems to be the heart of the team in Reynolds, but is still lumped with Mbye and Lichaa. Foran isn't the answer. Making the semi finals might be a nice tick on his much loved KPI's but it means little. He has finished top 4 once in his time at the Dogs, and it's damn well hard to win the comp outside the 4. Since they made the GF in his first year there they have gone 59-50. That is 5 wins more then Penrith over the same period, a team that has achieved zero A good mate is a die hard Dogs man, and he has hated Des from day one. He has always said that he isn't as smart as he thinks he is, and he has the journalists bluffed by creating this enigma persona. He is playing percentage football, but playing the higher probability too often (if it is a 60% chance of scoring 2 points or a 35% chance of scoring 4, he chooses the 60%). The issue is that he just just been extended, so the payout if he is sacked is huge. And that leaves little money to pay a half decent coach. Maybe Jason Taylor and Woods can reunite.
AGordon
Guest
This should have been the shortest article in the history of The Roar. One word - no!!
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
Oh and watching the game at the pub, in my Dogs jersey, watching my Keno on the screen next to it. 40 games of keno. Didn't win a dollar. Watching footy, team didn't score. At least the pints of beer were only $5.50!!!
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
He really needs to loosen the shackles a little. Change up the team. Demote some non performing players to reserve grade. This year is over, so it's time to see what else is in the lower grades. Guys like Kasino and Eastwood who are moving on and/or aren't playing great can spend the rest of the year in reserve grade so the younger guys have a spot on the bench to show there worth. Not sure why we signed Hoppa again, unless it was a cheap retention, looking at him as a backup rather than a starter over the next few years. Every club needs journey plug and play players like him. Just not at top dollar. But really until we get the spine sorted, we are going to struggle. I'm dissapointed we didn't get Tedesco, we really need that injection from the back. I think Mbye could make a decent hooker given he is on the books for next year. Better to move him there now and get Liccha out of the team so we get Mbye learning the role better now. Reynolds can come back into the squad at 5/8th (to be replaced by Foran), paired with Frawley who is still learning the ropes, but needs to if he is going to be able to hold onto that role next year. Trying a few guys out at fullback is a must as well. These changes aren't that drastic. They are well overdue. Everything that happens for the rest of the year has to be about building towards a better gameplan and structure next year.
Sava
Guest
Glenn. What Plan?As I see it the Penrith players did to the Canterbury team what the NSW team did to Qld on Wednesday night.They were better than the Berries ( they have lost the Canter) in every dept. How you fix that is a massive problem. My only comment is that a couple of Berries forwards look unfit.The rest of the team just seem rudderless.They will come good for their own egos. Sava
Rob
Guest
You hear every week players and coaches saying stuff like if your 10% of in attitude you will struggle. This is the little things like kick chases, backing up, playing tired, giving aways soft tries and penalties. The Dogs and Des have tried to run the place like a bussiness more than a football club. Sport and especially rugby league requires a little pride and commitement to each other. Not how much money you are on. Look at Haynes influence on his team mates at the Titans. Like TB said Hasler has a proven track record as a coach. Maybe he has started treating the players like employees rather than team mates?
kk
Roar Pro
Hi TB, It will take a minimum of three seasons and some intelligent recruiting to turn C-BRLFC around. The cost of correcting past errors will run into the $ millions. As I said in October. Des is a dedicated and responsible person but he ain't Canterbury and his time is up. Now he has a contract until October 2019. As an avid Canterbury fan for thirty years I protested by not renewing my membership. The guilt ridden sleep deprivation of perceived disloyalty lasted six months. I will renew membership when Des has departed. I still cheer for the Bulldogs, but for the second time this season I turned off the telecast. It was pitiful and painful beyond my endurance. The chance to re- build from a platform of a quality forward pack of Jackson, Elliott, Klemmer and Woods gives some hope. Recruitment be thy name. Amen.
Glenn
Guest
Did the Dogs players have a crisis meeting after the Manly fiasco? If so it didn't last long and Sunday's defeat was their 4th in a row. Trouble is the Dogs are playing to Des' game plan. You know the new one he had for this year - different from last year to improve their attack - and its worked wonders. They now have the second worst attack in the comp and their defence not much better. Has one player under Hasler actually improved during his tenure. Lichaa and Mbye have actually regressed and they're two of the most important positions in their spine and their fullback is amongst the slowest in the comp and certainly not an organiser, as none of the spine are. All these have been handpicked by Hasler so he is solely responsible for their current plight. The Dogs of War have become the Dogs of Bore(dom).
The Barry
Roar Guru
Hasler' record of 12 semi final appearances in 13 years with five grand final appearances and two premierships is outstanding. It should be recognised that he took over at Manly after the Northern Eagles fiasco and at the Dogs after they'd made the semis just once in the previous four years. Remarkable achievements, how quickly he turned both teams around. just on pure numbers it's one of the best coaching records of all time. But he's in danger of having his reputation in tatters if he can't turn the Dogs around. His stubbornness, lack of ability to change, recruitment and retention, game day strategy have all left a lot to be desired over the past couple of years and belie his nickname of the professor. Hopefully he can turn things around - I have a lot of (waning) respect for him. Players crisis meeting this week, hopefully they pull their fingers out.