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

[InGusWeTrust]

The Bulldogs know they’re not the biggest pack, but they plan on being the hungriest in 2024. This is how Canterbury’s forward plan fight their way back into finals contention.

They’re not the biggest or most experienced, but none of that matters if you’re the hungriest.
The Bulldogs are counting on it in 2024.
Fresh talent has flooded into the club this season and while the team itself is yet to discover an identity under coach Cameron Ciraldo, the forward pack is particularly crucial.
An aggressive pack is the hallmark of any successful Canterbury team.
“We’re not the biggest pack, but we have to be the hungriest. We want to be the hardest working pack and that’s our goal. We’re going to be aggressive,” says prop Liam Knight, in the midst of his first pre-season with the club.
Knight, 29, joined from South Sydney at the end of last season but is one of a handful of
new, versatile recruits added to the roster to refresh the team for 2024.
Kurt Mann (Newcastle), Josh Curran (Warriors) and Jake Turpin (Roosters) have all been added to the squad that lost Tevita Pangai Junior (retirement), Corey Waddell (Manly) and Luke Thompson (Wigan) - three big bodies replaced with smaller forwards.
Despite their size, the Bulldogs were bullied around the field last year and no forward averaged more than 100 metres per game across the season.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

The change in the types of forwards Ciraldo has recruits this year is a nod to the style of football he wants to play to turn around a string of poor finishes.

“Kiks (Kikau) is the leader, what he’s achieved in the game and who he is in stature, but the thing about our identity, is we’re creating it now,” Knight says.
“We’re a new pack, we’re from all over the place so we have to create it.
“I’m one of the oldest, so my role now and what I want to focus on is being a leader and setting an example and put my best foot forward at training every day, and help those young guys coming through. We have a very young team, so I want to be of value to them.
“Josh (Curran) is a skilful player.
“I’ve always thought he was a talented player, but he’s come in, guns blazing and never back down attitude.
“We’re not the biggest pack but we’ll have a really good crack.”
Knight knows a thing or two about resilience.

This year is another chance at a fresh start after being told he was surplus to requirements at the Rabbitohs for this season after five years at the club.

“I want to be a part of a team taking the Bulldogs back to the finals and I want to play an integral role in that,” he says.
The 29-year-old has spoken openly about his battle with alcohol and prescription drug addiction in the past, as well as the journey to becoming sober and earning another chance in the NRL.
Now that he has a fresh opportunity ahead of him at the Bulldogs he wants to make the most of it.
“I want to play games of footy,” he says.
“It’s been a tough couple of years for me, so for me it’s about getting the opportunity to get myself back in the game and be a part of a team that’s going well, and bring some fun and love back to the fans who have been so loyal.
“The passion of the fans is immense.”

BULLDOGS PACK IN 2024

Max King
Age: 26
NRL games: 97

Reed Mahoney
Age: 25
NRL games: 125

Ryan Sutton
Age: 28
NRL games: 88

Jacob Preston
Age: 22
NRL games: 20

Viliame Kikau
Age: 28 
NRL games: 132

Josh Curran
Age: 24
NRL games: 61

Ray Faitala-Mariner
Age: 30
NRL games: 114

Jake Turpin
Age: 27
NRL games: 75

Kurt Mann
Age: 30
NRL games: 178

Liam Knight
Age: 29
NRL games: 81

Chris Patolo
Age: 22
NRL games: 23

 

[albatross]

Sounds motivated with his best prep in a few years. We need him to do what he says. Also good that in interviews our players are talking about what the team needs to do, and not how they found a new best mate, like last year.

 

[Howie B]

So it sounds like the plan is not to let the forwards eat anything all year.

I don’t mind that.

Most of them didn’t deserve a feed last year anyway

 

[cookieman909]

I’m hoping with a mobile pack we can play fast footy and generate good ruck speed. Teams rolling down the middle of us is a concern.

 

[KiwiDog7]

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

 

[04 Dreaming]

Who wrote this crap. Our 2 starting ‘enforcers” are both journeyman who wouldnt be tauranteed a spot in pretty much any other clubs 17. Patolo is busted and crap when fit anyway. Our next most snr prop samuel Hughes I dont think has seen more than 45 mins of first grade in his combined appearances. At least he shows promise I give him that. One for the future. Mann is a battler. Faamasuli is reserve grade bench standard. Curran will hold his own and do a job but is Honest at best. Sutton is one of the worst buys in our history complete garbage. Mahoney a speed bump

This isnt a pack that will thrive and survive on mobility and hard work. It is a pack that is gonna get monstered

 

[Dingo]

Can we get a couple of gorillas in the front row

 

[Menteek]

I like the honesty but I hope we can show heart in all games and see an improvement from last year. Worst thing can happen round 1 is we get completely smashed against the eels. For once I want us to come out find blazing

 

[Bad Billy]

Small is small. No amount of effort will make you big.
Being fit and mobile will definitely help at the back end of games against weak opposition, but that won't matter against the good sides as they'll have blown us away by HT.

 

[speedy2460]

Something about the size of the fight in the dog, not the size of the dog in the fight.

 

[dawso047]

On paper the Dogs pack will get dominated every game. King, Curran, Kikau, Preston, Mahoney are all up to the challange though. I'm hoping that against the odds that Hughes, Patolo, Morrin and Edwards all suprise this year and have break out seasons. I don't think the older guys like Knight, Mariner, Sutton and Turpin are getting any better so improvement needs to cone from those less experienced players I listed.

 

[Menteek]

On paper the Dogs pack will get dominated every game. King, Curran, Kikau, Preston, Mahoney are all up to the challange though. I'm hoping that against the odds that Hughes, Patolo, Morrin and Edwards all suprise this year and have break out seasons. I don't think the older guys like Knight, Mariner, Sutton and Turpin are getting any better so improvement needs to cone from those less experienced players I listed.

the way I see it, if our line defensive is like last year than we have 0 hope. But if we somehow have a great line defence then we could see a good amount of results favour us. Like Liam knight said “we don’t have the biggest pack, but we want to be the hungriest”. Going off that they better instill a crazy line defence in order to fill in the big props we’re missing.

 

[maroondog72]

A lot of Talk about size in our pack, and I get it. If we where signing ruben cotter it wouldn't get a mention. We had two "big" props last year and they where fucking useless. It's not a top eight pack by any stretch of the imagination but its better than what we had last year, I am more worried about keeping what we have injury free as possible.

 

[surfdog]

Whats the latest with RFM does anyone know ? if Patolo and Sutton are out long term we really need him to pull his finger out and play

 

[gibbo2]

A major issue for us last year as that we didn't exactly have our forward pack on the park all that often. Thompson, Kikau, RFM all missed the majority of the season, TPJ was out for the first 6-8 weeks as well from memory. So we really missed blokes being match fit which lead to a lack of match fitness and continuity particularly on defence. Pretty clear we need to go forward , play the ball quicker and tighten up our defence around marker and give Reed some protection in defence.

 

[Paul Doolans mirror]

Can we get a couple of gorillas in the front row

Warilla gorillas..volkanovski was their front rower

 

[Total Fool]

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

 

[BondiBulldog]

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

No they weren’t and that was when there was a higher interchange. Which allowed a constant rotation and flow of big men charging. (I still prefer the twelve man interchange btw)

In contrast to this, there are many backs who are ‘bigger’ than the mentioned players in today’s game.

Depends if you’re a half glass empty or glass half full kinda person.

 

[Alan79]

A lot of Talk about size in our pack, and I get it. If we where signing ruben cotter it wouldn't get a mention. We had two "big" props last year and they where fucking useless. It's not a top eight pack by any stretch of the imagination but its better than what we had last year, I am more worried about keeping what we have injury free as possible.

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.