Official Gus on Twitter

[Malla]

He is the best possible person for the job right now.

Gus was brought in to Dogs to fix the junior pathways and help set standards in the club. He's perfect for that. Everything else will take time. Gus will be phased out of Dogs eventually, but the NRL will never pass him by.

 

[bricktamland]

Wayne Bennett, Nick Politis, Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart, Des Hasler and Ivan Cleary have all achieved more in the game than Phil Gould and you won’t see them saying someone else will win the competition.

He’s the most sucessful nsw coach, won premierships as coach with dogs and Penrith. He also is the one who identified brad Fittler. He’s on their level

 

[Magic Burton]

He’s the most sucessful nsw coach, won premierships as coach with dogs and Penrith. He also is the one who identified brad Fittler. He’s on their level

Brad Fittler made debut for Penrith in 1989. Gus was coaching us in 1989. A wonderful 1990's coach.

 

[wendog33]

This is the harsh truth, I think all Dogs fans should accept this before next season. I honestly don't think Gus believes the team he has on paper for first grade will do anything this year or even next. I think this is something he put together in the hope they can at least be competitive.

Gus is purely focused on the Harold Matts, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg - identifying the future first graders and making sure they get the right development into FG. He secured the future of Wood, signed all the first grade potential talent from the Flegg team. He's spending a lot of time in the halves academy with Wood, O'Neill and Karl.

Until then, what will continue to happen is players on big money will be managed out to free up cap space for the future. Players who become available while under contract at another club will be linked to Dogs and Gus will not get into a bidding war with anyone for any player or over pay.

Honestly, get used to being mediocre for a few more years.

My concern with this is the current elite signings. Guys like Burton, Kiks, Critta, Mahoney, Fox aren't gonna be a happy crew signing on with us realising that the roster will take years to make competitive.

And that affects any other potential elite players. None of them want to sign with a club thats not totally focussed on first grade success and therefore run the risk of jeopardising their career and getting burnt out hitting their heads against a brick wall that the Club aren't going all out to fix asap. First grade is all that matters to them and their career and professional pride in playing in a team competing for success and winning.

Will make it doubtly difficult to get the right kind of competitive players.

2024 will be a tell.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

My concern with this is the current elite signings. Guys like Burton, Kiks, Critta, Mahoney, Fox aren't gonna be a happy crew signing on with us realising that the roster will take years to make competitive.

And that affects any other potential elite players. None of them want to sign with a club thats not totally focussed on first grade success and therefore run the risk of jeopardising their career and getting burnt out hitting their heads against a brick wall that the Club aren't going all out to fix asap. First grade is all that matters to them and their career and professional pride in playing in a team competing for success and winning.

Will make it doubtly difficult to get the right kind of competitive players.

2024 will be a tell.

Gus is relying on them to drag the others up and help ease in the next generation of Bulldog. Big risk imo. Burton and Crichton are yet to establish themselves in key positions, Kikau is great although more of a luxury forward, Fox like Kikau a bit of a luxury + comes with baggage and Mahoney has his own issues to sort out.

 

[Bulldogs09]

All of these names are great players. While they can’t change it alone together they can. Surrounding them with more elite quality in positions needed like afb will also help develop some like Preston and kiraz.

If we can land afb and a couple other quality players and get a few more through like kiraz and Preston then we will be fielding a squad that is relevant.

Let’s hope we land some big names to help Jac Critta kikau Mahoney burton kiraz Preston and hopefully Curran and xerri kick on!

 

[diddly]

My concern with this is the current elite signings. Guys like Burton, Kiks, Critta, Mahoney, Fox aren't gonna be a happy crew signing on with us realising that the roster will take years to make competitive.

And that affects any other potential elite players. None of them want to sign with a club thats not totally focussed on first grade success and therefore run the risk of jeopardising their career and getting burnt out hitting their heads against a brick wall that the Club aren't going all out to fix asap. First grade is all that matters to them and their career and professional pride in playing in a team competing for success and winning.

Will make it doubtly difficult to get the right kind of competitive players.

2024 will be a tell.

Middles that can at least hold middle of the field will make an enormous difference - just need at least one or two

 

[GoTheDoggies]

This is the harsh truth, I think all Dogs fans should accept this before next season. I honestly don't think Gus believes the team he has on paper for first grade will do anything this year or even next. I think this is something he put together in the hope they can at least be competitive.

Gus is purely focused on the Harold Matts, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg - identifying the future first graders and making sure they get the right development into FG. He secured the future of Wood, signed all the first grade potential talent from the Flegg team. He's spending a lot of time in the halves academy with Wood, O'Neill and Karl.

Until then, what will continue to happen is players on big money will be managed out to free up cap space for the future. Players who become available while under contract at another club will be linked to Dogs and Gus will not get into a bidding war with anyone for any player or over pay.

Honestly, get used to being mediocre for a few more years.

Good thing Ciraldo and this new look team won’t be buying into that.

 

[Magic Burton]

One thing I will agree with Gus on is climate change

 

[D.O.W.]

You are all missing the point and the big picture here.
There are no elite players on the market so he is buying established first graders to provide depth. This year we had players playing that were not first grade standard due to poor depth.
The buys like Mann and Hutchinson also bring good culture and very good trainers.
the young guys that arent ready in reserve grade need these experienced hard heads to show them the way.
They are only short term deals and this will enable us to bring the young guys through and not rush them.
It also creates competition for spots where the younger guys won’t as they are not ready.
We have some excellent prospects coming through but they are a few years off

Thank Fark for this post….

 

[bowleggedwog]

We don't have the second smallest junior league. We have one of the better junior leagues. We have a lot of good juniors. They just end up elsewhere.

I did a post earlier it was a long summary I won't go into it again. People can choose to learn or people can choose to have the blinkers on. Some have a simplistic view of why we have struggled in recent years. It's not simplistic. It's not the blame on one person. What is happening is we aren't learning from previous mistakes, we are trying to make two wrongs into a right and so much decision making is being built around election outcomes. We will find out next week if there's an election or not. Our club is built around election cycles. It's worse than politics.

Our juniors and rep teams always been strong. Hasler was blooding juniors either local or from other regions during this time as coach. When the Anderson's were in charge we made Matts and Ball grand finals, won the NSW Cup & National Championship and undefeated in the 2020 Matts until the Covid lockdowns.

A lot of the winning Flegg team is from the previous Matts and Ball teams from 2020-21. Oloapu one of the notable exceptions. With his neck issues should never have been playing. Ciraldo did say he had a neck issue before Round 18.

Shut the fuck up . The only simplistic thing is you. Your breakdown is shit and always comes back to your agenda. Oloapu’s injury is not known by any of us. You read the papers and you think you know the story and come here and talk shit. As for juniors winning in local comps or winning junior reps is just the beginning of junior development. All that shows is we have talented kids it doesn’t mean they stay or we develop them. Some get better and come get left behind. Some are the most talented but worst attitude or work ethic. There is a thousand things that go into and the club has failed in many aspects for the last decade but if you believe the club hasn’t been trying to rectify many of our failings than you show your bias agenda. What do you think you have the power to get Gus sacked or cc sacked or just like Marley so you can say you were right.

 

[TwinTurbo]

This is the harsh truth, I think all Dogs fans should accept this before next season. I honestly don't think Gus believes the team he has on paper for first grade will do anything this year or even next. I think this is something he put together in the hope they can at least be competitive.

Gus is purely focused on the Harold Matts, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg - identifying the future first graders and making sure they get the right development into FG. He secured the future of Wood, signed all the first grade potential talent from the Flegg team. He's spending a lot of time in the halves academy with Wood, O'Neill and Karl.

Until then, what will continue to happen is players on big money will be managed out to free up cap space for the future. Players who become available while under contract at another club will be linked to Dogs and Gus will not get into a bidding war with anyone for any player or over pay.

Honestly, get used to being mediocre for a few more years.

In "a few more years" Burton, Crichton, JAC, Kikau. Mahony etc most likely won't even be here, neither will anyone else for that matter. They are hardly going to stay, re-sign, unless they see real progress, which isn't "mediocre". Plus I'm confident that Gould and Ciraldo won't be risking their reputations by tolerating mediocre, they will want results and do what is necessary to get them. Which includes pathways and buying the necessary players to achieve the required standard across the field to be competitive with anyone.

What the fark is your definition of "mediocre" anyway? You are such a negative nelly that even if we play finals I'm sure you will claim that as mediocre. If we don't win a premiership, yep still mediocre.


Always a Bulldog

 

[steeliz]

Brad Fittler made debut for Penrith in 1989. Gus was coaching us in 1989. A wonderful 1990's coach.

Maybe you need to watch a few Fittler interviews and see exactly how Fittler talks about Gus.

He idolises him.

 

[PaxMaxi1980]

This is the harsh truth, I think all Dogs fans should accept this before next season. I honestly don't think Gus believes the team he has on paper for first grade will do anything this year or even next. I think this is something he put together in the hope they can at least be competitive.

Gus is purely focused on the Harold Matts, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg - identifying the future first graders and making sure they get the right development into FG. He secured the future of Wood, signed all the first grade potential talent from the Flegg team. He's spending a lot of time in the halves academy with Wood, O'Neill and Karl.

Until then, what will continue to happen is players on big money will be managed out to free up cap space for the future. Players who become available while under contract at another club will be linked to Dogs and Gus will not get into a bidding war with anyone for any player or over pay.

Honestly, get used to being mediocre for a few more years.

That’s basically what Gus has been saying himself since he got here.

 

[Malla]

View attachment 95455

In "a few more years" Burton, Crichton, JAC, Kikau. Mahony etc most likely won't even be here, neither will anyone else for that matter. They are hardly going to stay, re-sign, unless they see real progress, which isn't "mediocre". Plus I'm confident that Gould and Ciraldo won't be risking their reputations by tolerating mediocre, they will want results and do what is necessary to get them. Which includes pathways and buying the necessary players to achieve the required standard across the field to be competitive with anyone.

What the fark is your definition of "mediocre" anyway? You are such a negative nelly that even if we play finals I'm sure you will claim that as mediocre. If we don't win a premiership, yep still mediocre.


Always a Bulldog

Slow ya row big guy.

 

[the12thman]

I can see both sides of this argument.

But it is still depressing that next year we are most probably gonna be shit again.

I understand the long term plan of Gus, but it gives him and Ciraldo excuses next year if we don't perform and I don't like the lack of accountability.

What about if this time next year Gus is still saying all of these same things.

Who really wants 24 and 25 to be write offs.

In my eyes Ciraldo should be under the pump massively from Round 1 and we need to win atleast 5 of our first 10 games.

The future with our juniors is important, but if we are still losing and there is a losing culture at the club, how are they going to develop into genuine first graders.

Our big name players need to step up and stop treating this club like the retirement jackpot club it is in risk of becoming.

 

[Robdog111]

I can see both sides of this argument.

But it is still depressing that next year we are most probably gonna be shit again.

I understand the long term plan of Gus, but it gives him and Ciraldo excuses next year if we don't perform and I don't like the lack of accountability.

What about if this time next year Gus is still saying all of these same things.

Who really wants 24 and 25 to be write offs.

In my eyes Ciraldo should be under the pump massively from Round 1 and we need to win atleast 5 of our first 10 games.

The future with our juniors is important, but if we are still losing and there is a losing culture at the club, how are they going to develop into genuine first graders.

Our big name players need to step up and stop treating this club like the retirement jackpot club it is in risk of becoming.

I totally disagree. Until we get decent front rowers CC should be given a pass. That's why he was also given a 5 year deal.
As for the juniors, like Damon Marshall, Iverson Matalavea-Booth, Conti, O’Neill and Mitchell Woods. I doubt any of them will play 1st grade next year because Gus will not want them exposed to a losing culture. 2025 will be the year when we have a much better forward pack.

 

[the12thman]

I totally disagree. Until we get decent front rowers CC should be given a pass. That's why he was also given a 5 year deal.
As for the juniors, like Damon Marshall, Iverson Matalavea-Booth, Conti, O’Neill and Mitchell Woods. I doubt any of them will play 1st grade next year because Gus will not want them exposed to a losing culture. 2025 will be the year when we have a much better forward pack.

I agree about the lack of props.

We will lose games cause we get out muscled up front.

But those 50/50 games we have been losing, we should be winning more with the class players we have.

Ciraldo has a lot to prove next year.

I want him to succeed. Let's hope he does

 

[1967]

You are all missing the point and the big picture here.
There are no elite players on the market so he is buying established first graders to provide depth. This year we had players playing that were not first grade standard due to poor depth.
The buys like Mann and Hutchinson also bring good culture and very good trainers.
the young guys that arent ready in reserve grade need these experienced hard heads to show them the way.
They are only short term deals and this will enable us to bring the young guys through and not rush them.
It also creates competition for spots where the younger guys won’t as they are not ready.
We have some excellent prospects coming through but they are a few years off

You’re spot on mate, but it’s been said a hundred times, it goes in one ear and out the other … waste of time trying to explain the big picture to short sighted people …

 

[Robdog111]

I agree about the lack of props.

We will lose games cause we get out muscled up front.

But those 50/50 games we have been losing, we should be winning more with the class players we have.

Ciraldo has a lot to prove next year.

I want him to succeed. Let's hope he does

I think he will succeed but saying scrutiny should be on him from game one when we clearly don't have the muscle up front is unfair in my opinion. Yes he hasn't proven himself obviously- but until he has the cattle up front he should be given the benefit of the doubt. I believe 2025 is when we will at least have some punch up front. I totally believe AFB will sign with his mate Gus.