News NRL 2024: Strengths and weaknesses of Canterbury Bulldogs’ forward pack

[Chrisaaar]

I'm not entirely worried about the size of our forwards, i'm worried about depth.

Assuming King and Knight are our starting front rowers... if either go down injured for any extended period of time, we are royally screwed.

As others mentioned, the strong clubs will have us by half time and the utility belt we've invested in will be gassed from trying to plug the huge holes the oppositions forward pack is making in the middle, effectively making them and that strategy redundant.

 

[John Matrix]

Agree with the consensus, depth is a concern for me too. Need to have back ups, we can only do so much so I hope we are fine in that front.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

The year we picked up the likes of Hennant, Staggs, Ennis etc and made the finals, I don’t recall that pack on paper being overly huge?

M Hodgson, A Ryan, Staggs, Hennant, not sure who the others were off the top of my head, but that pack size wise would be no different to the pack of 2024

Eastwood, did he come with that batch? He was only a bench forward before and probably after becoming a dog, but was a burly dude. Physical size is actually irrelevant if they actually go hard, so if they can do that as Knight suggests, we won’t be as soft as expected. We can only hope.

Guys like Cotter epitomise this ethos. Morrin is like that too.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

More than size, lack of determination was our biggest issue last season. If we struggle with momentum due to size, but don't give up defensively like last season we'll be in a better spot. I think our backline will be far better equipped to deal out damage in attack from long range. From what I've read about training, we've got some forwards like Curren reportedly bringing high levels of intensity. Hopefully we wind up getting more out of our under rated prop rotation than we expect.

Also the backline dealing damage in defence would be good. That’s the thing I’m looking forward to most with Critta in the team. The way he was nailing blokes last year was awesome and that means teams will be wary of going to his edge. Hopefully the other edge isn’t easy pickings. Assuming Critta actually plays centre.

 

[D.O.W.]

I’m not sold on small ball but we don’t have much choice now.

We have probably the worst middle forwards in the comp (all due respect to King, Hughes and Knight) but they don’t exactly strike much fear into opposition packs

It may be 2024 but some things don’t change in Rugby League - big, aggressive packs that can go toe to toe and provide a platform every week for the halves to unleash the edges.

Gus has searched hard to try jag middle forward signings (of note) but they have fallen through

I don’t remember the player market being so bare …just when we have money to spend

I think the key ingredient here is raw aggression or fostering it on the playing field….if any one of our middles can match the intent and savagery as a Spencer Leniu (who literally hurls himself at full tilt legs pumping in contact) we will hold our own - also, energetic runs usually inspire more energetic runs. The only middle we have that runs like a possessed maniac is Morrin. The bloke is a Bulldog through and through the way he applies himself every hit-up and every tackle….

 

[04 Dreaming]

I think the key ingredient here is raw aggression or fostering it on the playing field….if any one of our middles can match the intent and savagery as a Spencer Leniu (who literally hurls himself at full tilt legs pumping in contact) we will hold our own - also, energetic runs usually inspire more energetic runs. The only middle we have that runs like a possessed maniac is Morrin. The bloke is a Bulldog through and through the way he applies himself every hit-up and every tackle….

There isnt a single forward on our roster who is built to play with the raw aggression and savagery that u speak of. Thats the issue. Need the players who are capable of executing

 

[D- voice]

More than size, lack of determination was our biggest issue last season. If we struggle with momentum due to size, but don't give up defensively like last season we'll be in a better spot. I think our backline will be far better equipped to deal out damage in attack from long range. From what I've read about training, we've got some forwards like Curren reportedly bringing high levels of intensity. Hopefully we wind up getting more out of our under rated prop rotation than we expect.

At the beginning there was determination, determination led to injuries, injuries that caused disruptions, disruptions caused whinging , whinging about the hard training that kinda training that forces coaching stuff to evaluate training methods forcing them to resolve to a new training method called Wrestling Mania

 

[wendog33]

Wouldn't mind a guy like this lol

https://fb.watch/pEG4mN-t2h/?mibextid=K8Wfd2

 

[PeteHazz]

More than size, lack of determination was our biggest issue last season. If we struggle with momentum due to size, but don't give up defensively like last season we'll be in a better spot. I think our backline will be far better equipped to deal out damage in attack from long range. From what I've read about training, we've got some forwards like Curren reportedly bringing high levels of intensity. Hopefully we wind up getting more out of our under rated prop rotation than we expect.

What I found frustrating was we did, in some games, defend really well in patches. Then something would happen, heads drop and 30 points get put on. I felt we had a really fragile mindset

 

[maroondog72]

More than size, lack of determination was our biggest issue last season. If we struggle with momentum due to size, but don't give up defensively like last season we'll be in a better spot. I think our backline will be far better equipped to deal out damage in attack from long range. From what I've read about training, we've got some forwards like Curren reportedly bringing high levels of intensity. Hopefully we wind up getting more out of our under rated prop rotation than we expect.

I agree al.

 

[maroondog72]

What I found frustrating was we did, in some games, defend really well in patches. Then something would happen, heads drop and 30 points get put on. I felt we had a really fragile mindset

Some players had a dig and some didn’t give a fuck and the reasons where made clear at the end of the season. As they say defence is attitude and if they are all on the same page this year I would expect to see a major improvement in our D.

 

[liljohny]

There isnt a single forward on our roster who is built to play with the raw aggression and savagery that u speak of. Thats the issue. Need the players who are capable of executing

Fw

 

[04 Dreaming]

Fw

C

 

[The DoggFather]

Let's hope they live up to their positions name and not be the backwards they have been.

 

[liljohny]

C

D

 

[Menteek]

What I found frustrating was we did, in some games, defend really well in patches. Then something would happen, heads drop and 30 points get put on. I felt we had a really fragile mindset

That’s exactly what let us down especially when we had players injured since start of the season, we didn’t have the crops to mentally backup due to the players we lost. I’m hoping with the injection of some good energetic players we can step up in games such as that.

 

[Lost Dog]

We need to hire the great Roy Masters in 24 and install face slapping to gee up our forwards.

 

[Lost Dog]

face slapping nrl - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[Mitch Connor]

Anyone confirm if Zac Montgomery has left the club?

 

[dogon]

Anyone confirm if Zac Montgomery has left the club?

If he has that would make our top31 an NRL compliant top30, plus 7 or 8 supplementary contracts.