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As part of a series profiling the expected Round 1 sides for all 17 NRL clubs in 2023, the Bulldogs have brought in some big guns in a bid to end their finals drought.
Canterbury have put their faith in Cameron Ciraldo to do what Dean Pay and Trent Barrett couldn’t – lift the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The recruitment of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney gives them strikepower and class they’ve been lacking in the pack in recent years.
Bulldogs fans are wary as the arrival of several high-priced signings in recent years hasn’t translated into a marked increase in wins.
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Ciraldo, who knocked back a similar deal with the Tigers, has been given a long-term deal as a show of faith by the club after making his mark as an assistant to Ivan Cleary in Penrith’s back-to-back premierships.
He is looking to pull a selection shock at fullback to kick off his first campaign in charge with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that Eels recruit Hayze Perham is the favourite to wear the No.1 jersey ahead of incumbent Jake Averillo.
Cameron Ciraldo. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Ciraldo and the new-look coaching staff have been impressed with Perham’s talk at the back in sorting out the defensive line at training with the utility back also a strong tackler himself.
Kikau will line up on the left edge where he will reunite with former Panthers teammate Matt Burton in what should become a potent source of points for the Dogs.
Mahoney will shore up the defence in the middle and deliver quality service from dummy-half.
Canberra’s Ryan Sutton, Manly’s Andrew Davey and Sharks prospect Franklin Pele will bolster the pack while bench utility Fa’amanu Brown returns to Belmore after a stint at the Tigers.
Perham will prove handy filling in gaps as he can play anywhere in the backline.
Fullback Matt Dufty left late in the season to join Warrington and has been joined by prop Paul Vaughan.
Club stalwart Josh Jackson retired in October despite having a year left on his contract while Jack Hetherington (Knights), Matt Doorey (Eels), Joe Stimson (Titans) and Ava Seumanufagai (likely to return to Super League) will also be missing from last year’s pack.
Hayze Perham. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Back-up playmakers Tui Katoa and Brandon Wakeham were also unsigned while starting hooker Jeremy Marshall-King will become the foundation No.9 at the Dolphins.
In the backs, centre Aaron Schoupp was released early to take up a long-term deal with the Gold Coast and former Maroons representative Corey Allan was allowed to go to the Roosters.
Schoupp’s centre spot will probably end up with Averillo if Perham gets the nod at fullback although young prospects Paul Alomati and Jeral Skelton are highly regarded at the club.
The middle-forward rotation looks stronger with Sutton packing down alongside Tevita Pangai jnr, Luke Thompson and Max King.
Mahoney’s ability to play 80 minutes each week means Ciraldo could roll with four forwards or a back on the bench ahead of Brown. Regular back-up hooker Bailey Biondi-Odo is out for the first few months of the season due to an ACL tear suffered in September.
Take over from Jackson as captain will be Mahoney and Burton as joint-skippers.
1 Hayze Perham
2 Jacob Kiraz
3 Braidon Burns
4 Jake Averillo
5 Josh Addo-Carr
6 Matt Burton
7 Kyle Flanagan
8 Luke Thompson
9 Reed Mahoney
10 Tevita Pangai jnr
11 Viliame Kikau
12 Raymond Faitala-Mariner
13 Ryan Sutton
Interchange
14 Fa’amanu Brown
15 Max King
16 Corey Waddell
17 Andrew Davey
Other squad members: Bailey Biondi-Odo (injured until mid-season), Franklin Pele, Jackson Topine, Jayden Okunbor, Brandon Clarke, Chris Patolo, Declan Casey, Jacob Preston, Jeral Skelton, Paul Alamoti, Samuel Hughes.
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