News NRL Power Rankings Bulldogs 15th

[djdeep4172]

15. BULLDOGS

Like the Broncos, the Bulldogs were hopeful of a massive turnaround after taking out the wooden spoon last season. Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr, Paul Vaughan, Brent Naden, Matt Dufty and Tevita Pangai Jr form the nucleus of a strong recruitment drive that should make the Bulldogs much better than the 2022 squad on paper. However, their trial form was less than impressive as they dropped both games to the Knights and the Sharks. It is clear it is going to take some time for the new look team to form some combinations. The biggest issue the Bulldogs have is who will play halfback with makeshift option Jake Averillo and Kyle Flanagan failing to cement the role in the pre-season. Burton looks like being an excellent signing at five-eighth, but after a year in the centres with Penrith it will take him time to adjust back to the role and even then at his stage of his development he will need some help in guiding the attack.

 

[TABOO]

Didn't we draw with the knights?

 

[c-b-b]

I’m not saying we are a top team but the sharks lose 34-6 in the first trial and beat us In the second. All of a sudden the “experts” are saying they’re certainties to make the 8, some even saying top 4 because they beat us and conveniently forget their first trial. From memory we won our trial last year and we all know how the season went. I’ll judge the team by the first 4-5 rounds and how they’re playing rather than trial form.

 

[Malla]

How can you do a power ranking before the season starts??? What the fuck

 

[Interestingg]

The author of this article has Tigers at 7 lol. They’re bottom 4 certainties

 

[Spoonman84]

I’m not saying we are a top team but the sharks lose 34-6 in the first trial and beat us In the second. All of a sudden the “experts” are saying they’re certainties to make the 8, some even saying top 4 because they beat us and conveniently forget their first trial. From memory we won our trial last year and we all know how the season went. I’ll judge the team by the first 4-5 rounds and how they’re playing rather than trial form.

Trial form is always useless indicator of how a team will perform in the real games. There’s so many variables that happen in trials that they should be forgotten about the at the final whistle. I believe a lot bigger deal has been made about them this year due to the fact they were all televised for the first time so everyone actually saw the games.

 

[bradyk]

I’m not saying we are a top team but the sharks lose 34-6 in the first trial and beat us In the second. All of a sudden the “experts” are saying they’re certainties to make the 8, some even saying top 4 because they beat us and conveniently forget their first trial. From memory we won our trial last year and we all know how the season went. I’ll judge the team by the first 4-5 rounds and how they’re playing rather than trial form.

Sharks ran out kids first trial. Raiders full side. Going off trials we're clearly 15th or 16th. Trial form isn't everything but I also don't think it's meaningless either.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Trial form is always useless indicator of how a team will perform in the real games. There’s so many variables that happen in trials that they should be forgotten about the at the final whistle. I believe a lot bigger deal has been made about them this year due to the fact they were all televised for the first time so everyone actually saw the games.

100% trials are only to get some miles in the legs and for players to gel in certain positions.
We didnt show any plays as they were televised.
There was one scrum move we did show against Newcastle where casey made a break of about 30 metres, i reckon was exactly designed for the fox, they put it away from the second trial.

 

[Doge]

I listen to a few podcasts and all have had us in the bottom 4 or chance for another spoon, can’t really argue with that while we have a bottom 4 spine.

 

[John Matrix]

Didn't we draw with the knights?

Yep, the same club who defaulted into the 8 with a F/A in the negative in 2021.

 

[WFC03]

In both trials our biggest issue was handling errors. We gave knights and sharks plenty of ball in good areas due to dropped ball ( I’m looking at you Okunbor)
If we cut out those errors we have a good enough forward pack to at least be competitive in most games and if we stop the second man plays who knows even win more than a handful of them.

 

[ouwet]

Trials mean nothing... I actually didn't mind what I saw, we just need to bloody hold the ball (Jayden) and not get caught out on the wing (Jayden).

2012 Trial game Belmore Sports Ground - Dogs V Roosters 1st game at Belmore in 14 years, Dogs lost 28-16 against the Roosters.

Bulldogs = Minor Premiers
Roosters = 13th

While I highly doubt we will make a massive impression on the season (God I hope I'm wrong)... We will improve and be fringe 8.

 

[TABOO]

Yep, the same club who defaulted into the 8 with a F/A in the negative in 2021.

Hahaha FKN embarrassing.
Who wrote this article? Can't even do simple fact checking....

 

[TABOO]

100% trials are only to get some miles in the legs and for players to gel in certain positions.
We didnt show any plays as they were televised.
There was one scrum move we did show against Newcastle where casey made a break of about 30 metres, i reckon was exactly designed for the fox, they put it away from the second trial.

Wouldnt it be funny if Baz had actually told them to go out and look shit on purpose to set expectations low and lull false sense of security.
Round 1 we just put everyone on blast

 

[Kenya]

Since the trials I have dropped my expectations. The re-build is going to take time.
And we will feel some dejection before we start to click.

Better than 10th will be good this year.
2023 we add a 9 and a 7 to a team that knows how to work together and we head towards the finals again.

 

[KiwiDog7]

Burton basically played that trial in a tuxedo sitting out in the edge on attacking situations particularly in second half

Whilst we were disappointed with the sharks trial it’s not the be end all for the season

After round one we will know where we stand

 

[Psycho Doggie]

The comments on the trial are fair enough. It was clear in the trial that we have new combinations in both attack and defence. It was also clear that the halfback question was not answered. Will this change? Hopefully, but time will tell.

 

[bradyk]

The comments on the trial are fair enough. It was clear in the trial that we have new combinations in both attack and defence. It was also clear that the halfback question was not answered. Will this change? Hopefully, but time will tell.

If we fix our discipline up we give ourselves a chance. The problem is it's been abysmal for years now. It was worrying in the trial with a whole new roster it was still there (and actually worse than ever).

 

[Psycho Doggie]

If we fix our discipline up we give ourselves a chance. The problem is it's been abysmal for years now. It was worrying in the trial with a whole new roster it was still there (and actually worse than ever).

We have 8 players down to debut with us in Round 1, 7 of them in the starting lineup. That has got to be some sort of record.

6 of those players come from systems that have been much more successful over the last 3-4 seasons. That has been part of the reason they have been brought in, attitude and approach.

Besides getting the discipline right, we also need to be playing more as a team, anticipating what team mates are going to do. The two things are related, neither seems likely to get fixed over night.

I wouldn't be surprised if Burton's involvement levels increase over time, the approach with him has probably been pressure off, let him find his feet and decide for himself to up his game as time goes on.

 

[flamebouyant]

Didn't we draw with the knights?

Clearly they cant count.