The Bulldogs lurched from bad to worse in 2017, with an attack that failed to fire, constant rumblings about the future of their coach, and some demoralising losses.
In the end, despite being re-signed mid season, Des Hasler was out the door at the end of 2017, beginning legal action for unfair dismissal soon after.
Adding to the drama, fan favourites James Graham and Josh Reynolds left for the Dragons and Tigers, respectively.
The Bulldogs finished 11th, as three consecutive wins to end the season papered over some cracks, but new coach Dean Pay has plenty of work to do if his side are to play in September.
How does their squad rate?
Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods come in as virtually straight swaps for the outgoing Reynolds and Graham. Other notable changes include the recent signing of Moses Suli, a young but highly regarded prospect who was released from the Tigers, while Sam Kasiano departs after a long stint with the club.
With Woods joining NSW teammates Josh Jackson and David Klemmer, as well as Aiden Tolman and Greg Eastwood, it is an imposing pack. Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Adam Elliot looked good on the edges last season too.
The backs are the area of concern.
The Morris twins, Brett and Josh, are now over 30, and Will Hopoate just doesn’t have the impact of some other fullbacks. Moses Mbye and Matt Frawley both spent time in the halves last season without any great success. That said, Marcelo Montoya showed some promise in his first season.
Foran was in a team last year in a similar position to the Dogs now, and did little to help a Warriors side struggling for consistency and points. Foran needs a partner who is going to be in control and organising the side, freeing him up to play his natural game.
Whether they have that in Frawley or the yet untried Josh Cleeland remains to be seen. Mbye is rumoured to be moving to fullback.
Then there is Michael Lichaa. When he came across from the Sharks, the Dogs were seen as getting the better end of the deal in offloading Michael Ennis. On what we have seen so far, this doesn’t appear to be the case.
Ins
Fa’amanu Brown (Sharks – 2019), Kieran Foran (Warriors – 2020), Ofahiki Ogden (Warriors – 2019), Clay Priest (Raiders – 2019), Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers – 2021), Jeremy Marshall-King (Wests Tigers – 2018), Mason Cerruto (Panthers – 2018), Moses Suli (Wests Tigers – 2020), John Olive (Bulldogs – 2019
Outs
Brad Abbey (Raiders), James Graham (Dragons), Sam Kasiano (Storm), Richard Kennar (Rabbitohs), Tyrone Phillips (Panthers), Josh Reynolds (Wests Tigers), Craig Garvey, Chase Stanley (released), Brenko Lee (Titans)
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Key man
Dean Pay is a rookie coach, coming into a big club with some massive expectations.
There is a train of thought that Hasler was stifling his team’s attack, making it Pay’s primary issue. But while it’s convenient to lay the blame at Des’ feet, the reality might be that they just don’t have the personnel to get the attack going.
Pay will have to work with what he has. Getting Mbye and Lichaa to fire is critical – they should be showing more consistency – and the same applies to Foran.
The club entire attitude could use some attention – it wouldn’t have been over the top to give some under-performing players a stint in reserve grade last year.
Pay has to instil a positive culture back into the place and some healthy competition for spots, or risk players being happy to be mediocre.
Where do they need to improve?
No surprises here, attack.
At one stage last season it looked as though the Bulldogs ‘for’ tally would be outdone by Hazem El Masri’s individual points in 2004 – averaging 15 points per game, their attack was the worst in the competition.
Hopoate didn’t bag a try until round 25, and only made two line breaks. The three halves they used – Reynolds, Frawley and Mbye – combined for only 11 try assists. Lichaa only contributed two linebreaks, tries and try assists.
This just isn’t up to scratch for first-grade playmakers.
With Foran coming in and some positional changes, the attack should improve, but just how much?
Moses Mbye (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Top five clashes
Round 4: Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs, ANZ Stadium, March 30
Both teams will be looking for some early season form after disappointing 2017 seasons. In front of a big Easter crowd, who will make their mark?
Round 10: Bulldogs vs Eels, ANZ Stadium, May 11
These two clubs have a healthy rivalry, and aim up when they play each other, but in recent seasons the Eels have had the upper hand.
Parra should be pushing for top four again and if Canterbury are aiming for the eight, this is a must-win.
Round 12: Bulldogs vs Tigers, ANZ Stadium, May 27
It will be an emotional afternoon for Josh Reynolds as he returns to face the club he envisaged playing out his career with. The Dogs will care little of his emotions but the man in number six for the Tigers will aim up to sink his former club.
Round 14: Bulldogs versus Dragons, ANZ Stadium, June 11
The Bulldogs ended the Dragons’ season last year at ANZ, in one of their best performances of the season. Paul McGregor rode the roller coaster all night but at the death, the Dogs snatched a finals series from his grasp.
It will also be the first match James Graham plays against the Bulldogs.
Round 15: Bulldogs versus Titans, Belmore Sports Ground, June 16
The return to Belmore is always a highlight of the Bulldogs draw. They don’t have the record they would have hoped since returning there in 2015, but they will be keen to improve it on a Saturday evening in front of the locals.
Belmore (Photo: AAP)
How will they go?
The Bulldogs don’t seem capable of improving their attack enough to make the eight.
Even when they were pushing deep into finals, the forwards were the stars of the show, beating opposition into submission, then ball-playing with the fast men playing off the back.
The difference was they had players like Hodkinson, Reynolds and Ennis to get them around the park and come up with the big plays at the death. They now have players who are talked about in terms of potential – the fact Hopoate was their biggest provider last year is telling.
They needed a halfback, a level head, and a general for the team to come up with the goods. Foran is a good buy, but ultimately another running five-eighth.
It will take some sort of effort from Dean Pay to get this team to the finals.
Predicted finish
15th
Eddie Otto
Roar Guru
I think they re going to struggle. I am not sure they will be as bad as 15th however I don't like their spine one bit. Foran has massive question marks whether he can regain fitness and focus. However Woods, Klemmer and Jackson is a really good pack. I think they will be similar to last season. The backs are slow for mine and will really struggle to capitalise on half chances for mine.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Which of the teams that finished beneath them have improved so much that you’d so confidently predict them overtaking the Bulldogs. The Tigers squad is weaker than last year. Titans are no stronger. Warriors havent progressed. Souths have pretty much the same squad. Knights have improved but they’ve won three consecutive spoons and a lot of their signings are either way past their best or have limited experience. Any or all of those teams may finish ahead of the Dogs but it’s not such a lay down misere as you seem to think.
Nat
Roar Guru
Martin could be a gun if given the opportunity to develop in the NRL. As you say, it's a jump from ITS Cup to NRL but he was a star in a stacked Blackhawks team. He has size and skills but needs experience to mix it with the big boys.
the Shafe
Guest
To anyone thinking the Dogs will be higher in the ladder than the last 4 and in the battle for the spoon, let me ask you - who will they displace in the 12 above them? PS - Jack, shake a leg mate, you'll run out of time with your reviews before the season starts.. lol
The Barry
Roar Guru
I like your last paragraph in particular Rob...I've read the same things Mbye and Lichaa in particular have been pretty vocal about it. Proof will be in the pudding. I'm not worried about Woods in the slightest. I've made a pact with myself not to be drawn into the garbage that Woods cops through the season. I've been a defender of his for a while, his work gets under rated. It's all pretty uninformed and its become a bit of a cliché Somehow all his metres in the middle of the field are the 'easy' metres. He can't defend, but when you show a low missed tackle %, it's about the tackles he didn't make or how his offloads weren't effective. He's had to do the bulk of the work for the Tigers forwards on his own. He made 339 runs last year. The next best Tigers forward made 194. Woods made 3,198 metres. Next best forward was 1,770. He made 542 tackles and missed 27 for an effective % above 95%. He'll revel being in the Bulldogs team and not carrying the Tigers pack. At the end of the day, better judges than all of us have had him as a regular in the NSW and Australian teams, so he must be doing something right.
The Barry
Roar Guru
They've got a few good young players. You probably don't know them because Hasler hasn't given them a crack. Josh Cleeland has been the NSW Cup 5/8 of the year two years running. That's obviously a big step down from NRL level but I'd love to see him given an opportunity. I think he's probably better than Frawley, from limited viewings admittedly. Renouf To'omaga is a big forward who I saw destroy a NSW cup game last year...had wraps on him since. Fualalo and Tualau have had a bit of first grade experience and should only be getting better. Fualalo improved through last season. But the player I'd most like to see get a crack is Rhyse Martin. He also made the NSW cup team of the year. He scores tries, kicks goals from everywhere, runs good lines. He was great for PNG in the World Cup. I think Hasler missed a trick last year not giving him a chance. Elliott was running on empty in the last third or so of the season and could have done with a break. On the fingers crossed side of things...it was only 2016 when Foran started on fire for the Eels. Of course a lot has happened since then ...
Rob
Guest
I pretty much agree with what you have said TB especially on the Morris brothers front. I think the mere fact that Josh came 6th, I think it was, for defensive centre should show the commitment at his age is still there if anything else. Woods will play off Klemmer and vice versa so I'm not worried about Woods not living up to his end of the deal. The keys I believe will be if Foran can stay healthy and how Mbye will do under the high ball. As for Albo commenting on the future, I think you will find that this will change soon as I read in an article that the biggest disappointment the club had was going away from the local talent and they are looking to bringing that back so fingers crossed. The biggest thing to remember out of all of this is that numerous players have now said "I actually look forward to going to training as it is a much happier place to be." I believe this will lift their spirits a tremendous amount and show on the footy field.
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
Yes I'm biased but my Doggies will be a completely different side this year & will leave egg on a lot of "experts" faces.
matth
Guest
While I agree that Frawley's form will have a significant effect on the impact Foran can have, it might also work the other way. If Foran gets himself right, then having a steady hand and winner at number 6 might take some pressure off Frawley and allow him to improve as well. I think the Bulldogs chances of the making the finals are better than this, but a lot will depend on some more highly fancied teams having a shocker. there are always one or two who struggle due to injuries or their window slams shut without them realising (which is what happened to the Dogs over the last two years). So if, say the Broncos and the Raiders fall apart, there could be some space in the top half for the Dogs. They are not typically a club that spends many years in a row off the pace.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think the Bulldogs showed enough in their good games last year to suggest that can remain competitive and their poor performances last year seemed to have more to do with the gameplan and lack of confidence and motivation than ability. They don't have the easiest start to the season draw wise, but that may put them in good stead for the rest of the season.
KenW
Guest
I think the Dogs are in a similar position to Souths. There's lots of maybes there - maybe Foran will come good, maybe Lichaa. Mbye and Hoppa will fulfill the potential shown in their early careers, maybe Woods will provide a consistent go-forward despite his 'plays like Jane' rep, maybe Brett Morris will be able to run 10m without picking up an injury. Probably the biggest one, maybe Pay will have an instant impact if he can impart his hard-headed playing style to a pack that seemed pretty uninterested for most of last year. If it all comes together they could easily surprise, geez that's a lot of maybes though.
Albo
Guest
The worry for me Baz is the apparent lack of future improved talent on the horizon at the Dogs, particularly in the key spine positions. If I look at the Dogs matches last season, and try to identify players who look like they will develop their talents further this year, I reckon I could only nominate 4 players I think will improve their games - Montoya, Faitala-Mariner, Elliott & Brad Abbey ( and they have let Abbey go to the Raiders ? ). Not sure that a winger & two edge forwards on the rise can add a lot to the revival of the Dogs fortunes this year ? Foran & Woods in for Graham & Reynolds offer some experience, but still have question marks on their likely impact, particularly from Foran based on his recent history and performance output. The great Dogs sides of recent decades have always had young talent developed locally or imported in early from the bush , coming through the grades. The Mortimers & Hughes clans , the Farrars & Brentnalls, the Gillespies & Robinsons, and I just don't see that quality coming through at present at Belmore.
jeff dustby
Guest
generous, unless Foran turns everything around they will come dead last
Duncan Smith
Guest
Fifteenth? You people are in for a few surprises. You're too focused on last year and what Hasler's team did. This will be quit a different team under Pay, and with some new players.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m the first to acknowledge the issues the Dogs have coming into this season but I can’t see them finishing that far down. As rubbish as they were in 2016 & 17 they still finished 7th and 11th. I think the answer to their attack is pretty simple. Last year they were playing far too deep. But the forwards also stopped offloading which is a poor combination. Forans game suits them playing closer to the line. Lichaa wasn’t allowed to run so there was no concern for opposition teams there. A very safe and reliable but ultimately pedestrian fullback - which doesn’t cut the mustard these days. So there’s a tonne of queries around this side - particularly around the spine - and I’m certainly not proposing they’re locks for a successful season but there’s still too much quality to see them 15th. There’s no way there’s only one team in the comp with a worse roster. Three of their pack are current NSW players. The other forwards around them are good. I think the demise of the Morris brothers has been exaggerated. They showed last year when they were given some space they were still try scorers. Brett played for NSW last year (could have won them the series too if Hayne didn’t have glue on his hands and stars in his eyes ?) They need a lot to go right for them but 15th is having a laugh.