The Bulldogs look like a club without a soul. A team of mercenaries and cast-offs with very few players at the club because it was their first choice.
Much has been made of the fact they have completely overhauled their roster so much that no member of the current squad was at the club in 2021.
From the coach to the players, they give off the impression that they are only at the Bulldogs because they were tempted by a lucrative offer or their previous club deemed them surplus to requirements.
Cameron Ciraldo was initially reluctant 18 months ago to take up the offer to coach after previously knocking back a similarly tough rebuild opportunity with the Wests Tigers.
The lure of a five-year deal at a club armed with plenty of cash proved too hard to resist but if he had stayed another season as an assistant at Penrith, perhaps a more appealing job could have popped up.
Des Hasler and Shane Flanagan couldn’t get more than a three-year contract to take over the Titans and Dragons respectively and they’re premiership winners.
That’s not to question Ciraldo’s commitment – he has remained resolute in the face of the constant turmoil at Canterbury but his situation is emblematic of a club which used to build from within.
Bulldogs fans used to gleefully parade their “bred not bought” mantra, particularly after the Roosters raided their ranks in the late 2000s to sign Braith Anasta, Nate Myles and Willie Mason. Their fans even made up T-shirts to ruffle the Roosters’ feathers.
Now the Dogs are littered with players who came to the club for big dollars, not because it was their first choice or that they grew up dreaming of wearing the blue and white.
The Bulldogs look dejected during the round 1 loss to Parramatta. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Stephen Crichton is the latest big name to lob at the Kennel, following former Panthers teammates Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton, Eels hooker Reed Mahoney and Storm speedster Josh Addo-Carr.
The rest of the roster contains a host of journeymen and solid players who struggled to cement a regular spot at their previous clubs.
There are just three local juniors in their NRL squad – Blake Wilson, Chris Patolo and Jacob Kiraz after previously letting him slip to Newcastle – following the surprising decision to allow young centre prospects Paul Alamoti and Jake Averillo to head elsewhere in the off-season.
Having home-grown products in your NRL side doesn’t mean you will have success and their importance is often overstated.
But when the 13 Bulldogs players are on the field together, they don’t have a shared history of coming through the club’s pathways together, no good times and bad from the lower grades that they went through … unless you count the ex-Panthers boys.
Putting aside the mythology of the famed Bulldogs DNA, the club’s great teams of yesteryear had a common theme of a family club which grew together.
They were a basket case in their foundation season of 1935 but the Canterbury-Bankstown “Country Bumpkins” quickly went from underdogs to top dogs to win a title in their fourth year and another in their eighth.
The Dogs were fortunate in the 1980s to have two sets of three brothers playing first grade together from the Hughes and Mortimer families as they matched Parramatta’s dynasty by also winning four premierships for the decade.
When they won the title in 1995 it was another team which carried an immense chip on their shoulder due to the divisions caused by the Super League war.
Jason Smith, Dean Pay and Jim Dymock were taking the club to court over a contract dispute at the same time as they were playing integral roles in the upset Grand Final win over Manly.
The most recent Bulldogs premiers of 2004 were tainted by the salary cap rorting revelations a couple of years beforehand but that team also was filled with players who had come through the club’s pathways.
Only four players – ex-Eels duo Andrew Ryan and Willie Tonga, Luke Patten (Illawarra), Tony Grimaldi (one game for St George) and Mark O’Meley (Norths) – from that side had made their debut for another team.
Even when Des Hasler took them close to a title twice a decade ago, the team was centred around ferocious competitors with relentless tenacity more so than talent like Josh Reynolds, James Graham and David Klemmer.
The Bulldogs’ mongrel pedigree has been lost.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Is anyone in the 2024 team a Canterbury blueblood or are they all just there because that’s their current place of employment?
And the fact that not one player remains from a little more than two years ago might sound like the club has been ruthless in cutting away the dead wood that has contributed to a seven-year playoff drought.
But it also raises questions about the club’s retention policy – Nick Meaney, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jack Hetherington and Jeremy Marshall-King were part of that team and have all kicked on to greater heights elsewhere.
There was not much on display last Saturday in their 26-8 loss to the Eels to suggest Canterbury will break their playoff drought this year.
The season is in its infancy and when the tide turns for a team in the NRL it can happen in the blink of an eye.
But unless the Dogs can put up a decent showing against Cronulla at Shark Park on Friday night, their frustrated fans could be in for another season where the club’s spending spree does little to change the on-field results of a once mighty club which was renowned for its fighting spirit.
criag
Roar Rookie
I predicted them to finally have a better season this year (though I did the same last year). SURELY with Crighton and good ol' Hutch in the side things will improve. Surely! Surely?
Col in Paradise
Roar Rookie
True...but still a crap commentator!
mushi
Roar Guru
Yep the issue isn't that they grew up elsewhere (European football, IPL and US sports seem to go okay) it's more that outside of Burton (who still was paid well) they're doing the post Ferguson Man U and paying top dollar for guys. You need to either get them at least the contract before everyone knows how good they are or the one after everyone assumes they're done.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Here’s hoping for an upturn TB. I think you’re spot on about finding a game plan to match the players you do have. Barrett tried to turn them into Panthers Lite and that failed. Hard to see what Ciraldo is trying to do. Not sure you can claim SBW as part of the Roosters raid though. What was it - 5 years after he left the Dogs that the Roosters picked him up?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Could. Not. Agree. More. :stoked:
Good Grief
Roar Rookie
The players looked so much more enthusiastic, and it looked like they were getting some enjoyment from playing the game. There has to be some value to the enthusiasm of the squad - how do you maintain enthusiasm and intensity throughout an entire season playing a joyless, low error rate possession game to consistently lose. I realise it’s a … “professional” sport, but a lot of these guys found a love for the game and made it into first grade playing a more positive style of footy. Don’t need to be reckless, but let them play to their strengths and score some points.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yep for sure. That period under Potter, the Dogs still lost more games than they won but at least they were having a go, playing footy and finding points Burton’s attacking (read running) game was unlocked and the combo Burton and Addo-Carr had was unreal I have no delusions about this season for the Bulldogs but five tackle grind football will get us nowhere. We have some serious attacking talent and a small pack. They have to come up with a game plan that suits the roster Potter did it…
Don
Roar Rookie
He was a second row. Very good player - smart ball playing forward.
Good Grief
Roar Rookie
The team seemed to play a bit more enterprising footy under Mick Potter, the season was already gone at that point so maybe they weren’t feeling the same pressure - but the answer for Canterbury and Wests-Balmain cannot just be to grind out games playing defend-for-your-lives and joyless low risk/low error attack. No one wants to play a joyless style of footy in a struggling team. That looked like Madge’s plan - teach them how to grind. But it’s no way to rebuild a club, no way to attract talent to a club, and no way to get the best out of your current squad. Canterbury is already focused on developing and bringing through young talent (not acknowledged by the author) and I am wishing them well for 2024 after a horrible lot of injuries last season.
high horse
Roar Rookie
gould has the club putting a stack of resources and money into flegg, ball and matthews so this article is misguided. Braith come from souths, mason from hunter and nate was a queenslander
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
If they think it is a team identity thing, Grub and some ot the of the other tough as nails old boys will demonstrate.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
I got into league after he'd retired Col, but I believe he played 9 and thus might have the concussion disease. If you notice Jimmy Graham, he's pretty vague sometimes.
Col in Paradise
Roar Rookie
Gould's past it..just listen to his rambling incoherent commentary on 9...he is destroying the place....
KenW
Roar Rookie
3 seasons is technically correct, which of course is the best kind of correct. In a more practical sense though there have been 2 seasons + 1 round since the end of 2021.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Great call… maybe it’s just the way the game played out on Saturday but the Dogs were just five hit ups, kick. They’ll get nowhere fast doing that I’d rather see them go down having a go, than continuing that way…
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Look at the 2005 Wests Tigers as a model. Small pack, but four forwards on the bench most weeks (a forward who can cover hooker or the backs in Dene Halatau, rather than a 14 who is really only injury cover. Expansive play, but on their terms (the Tigers took a total of zero quick taps off penalties that entire season, which meant they started sets with their structures). Looking to break through the middle of the line through inside balls, offloads, short passes, changes of angle, etc, rather than relying on kicking or sideway shuffles of the ball to marked wingers. Don't be small; be agile and relentless.
andrew
Roar Rookie
It's way too early to write off the Bulldogs. They have a lot of class players and it's just a matter of time I think before they gel. I'd personally like to thank Canterbury for letting Ray Faitala-Mariner leave. What I saw on Saturday night impressed me, a great buy for the Dragons. Like Luke Brooks joining Manly I think a change of clubs will be a welcome change for RFM.
The Barry
Roar Guru
At the risk of being pedantic it’s three seasons ago… it was 2021 Burton and Addo-Carr were at the Bulldogs in 22…
KenW
Roar Rookie
Being pitied is worse than being hated ...and it's worse than that, it's not like I'm a Panthers supporter high on my premiership streak looking down with sympathy at the peasants, I'm a Dragon supporter! Not exactly viewing the world from a position of dominance, although I suspect many have lost their enthusiasm in cheering our losses too. Bulldogs having no players remaining from 2 seasons ago is an odd occurrence, I can understand why it got some traction. Even among spoon teams I doubt that's happened before. It's not a big deal though in itself though, they had to make some big changes.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Being pitied is worse than being hated There was a whole bunch of shock! Horror! Bulldogs have no players left since 2021 on social media before round 1 They got the spoon in 21 - it would have been a bigger shock if they has any players left…