Where do the Bulldogs Finish in 2024 ?

[wendog33]

I'm sorry but if there isn't vast improvement in 2024, there is something terribly wrong at Belmore! No more excuses (unless shocking run of injuries). This overall roster should not be vying for bottom 6 at worst!

This squad of some 9 players is top shelf and individually would be included in any other NRL team:
Burton
Kiks
Curran
Preston
Critta
Xerri
Kiraz
Mahoney
Fox

To a lesser extent we have this group of 8 players who are good enough to play very well and do the job a good coach assigns them:

King
Taafe
Hutchison
SST
Knight
Wilson
Skelton
Salmon

The remaining roster are talented prospects who should be eager to learn or experienced journeymen ready to put in for their coach and team but all are capable of stepping up.

Mann
Sutton
Hughes
Patolo
Morrin
Poasa
Turpin
Tanner
KO
Edwards

Then there's the Possibles and Up in Airers.
Topine
RFM
BBO
Rajab

Anything below 12th place is unacceptable with this roster, even allowing for lack of quality frontrowers. They all have to perform better than 2023 including CC and they all can.

 

[Magic Burton]

My only fear for rapid improvement up the ladder is the 6 teams above us that missed the finals.

Souths collapsed second half of the season. Parramatta just never really got going. I'm not sold on Eels they will miss 8 again. Manly made a couple of good signings in weak positions. Much of Manly is all about one player. High Risk. Cowboys under achieved. Titans have a new coach. Dolphins made 3 good signings. Titans and Dolphins who finished 4 points above us were in many games leading many games fell away. Titans imploded. Dolphins just short. Hasler will fix the second half meltdowns. Dolphins have added depth and be better for the first year together.

We had the worst defence and worst points difference. That points difference was inflated by on many times scoring the last 1-2 tries of games to inflate the score. When Titans and Dolphins were in games and blew them. We weren't even in many games. The way up is a long way.

The good thing is only Panthers and Broncos in the top 8 are so far above the rest. Roosters have made two massive signings. They've kept four spots free for more. The rest a few question marks over. I expect Canberra to have a massive fall. So the gap to 3rd or 4th isn't as great as it seems.

 

[childofglossop]

16th . From the bulldogs vantage point not much will change - knights raiders and warriors drop a few more games, cowboys and roosters win a couple more.

we do similar to 2023 and tigers improve slightly with dragons Getting the spoon.

16th sounds harsh but right now most nrl teams have good balanced squads. We have a fair bit to improve on.

In spite of those obvious holes in the squad everyone knows about I’d just be happy if 1) burton had a good season and 2) the try line defence wasn’t so embarrassing . The last half of the season wasn’t just bad it was soul destroying.

Tbh we should have collected the spoon this year. Our F and A was by far the worst of any side and if we hadn’t jagged a few flukey wins that kept our heads above water we would have sunk to the bottom, even below the Tigers.

Still big question marks over team morale and a lack of on field leadership. Who is our general? We don’t have one.

And Crichton aside (remember he was signed during the LAST off season) our recruitment so far has been patchy and unconvincing. We all joke about the utilities, but the truth is nobody knows who’s playing where…and probably won’t until just before round 1. Not the kind of stability we need in a side looking to improve.

Unless there is a massive unexpected turnaround, I’m afraid we are headed back to the bottom 3.

 

[ddt192]

Can you tell me what rosters are below us Uleh?

No

 

[Roger the alien]

The start of the year is so critical to gain some confidence but we don't exactly have an easy draw

NRL 2024 draw: First five games for every team

amp.smh.com.au

 

[Berries]

The start of the year is so critical to gain some confidence but we don't exactly have an easy draw

NRL 2024 draw: First five games for every team

amp.smh.com.au

Straight up 0-5 is very possible

 

[Doogie]

Bali. Next question.

 

[dogwhisperer]

Agree CC didn’t have an easy start to his coaching career with us. He is a rookie coach so I’m not hanging him out to dry. He does however need to show he has learnt a thing or two from last year.

My concerns for CC are what appears to be, he seems to be loyal to fault. He has his set process and procedures and seems to never deviate from that.

He has a Plan A and that is his only plan. He is loyal to the group. The players that put in on the training paddock and buy into his plan get the benefit. Whilst this is in principle how things should work in a team environment. When things aren’t working and you as the boss cannot pivot and find another way. Persisting with the same way and expecting things to work is just bad management in any business.

In regards to the injuries. Are they as a result or contributed to by training methods? Having so many injuries across the club. This is something that needs to be reviewed. Not saying this is CC’s soul responsibility but as head coach he is watching over the strength and conditioning work. I think it’s too much time in the gym lifting weights and not enough time running the streets and sand dunes.

Well for starters TPJ’s calf injury which prevented him from playing the first 6-7 rounds came from a field session and not in the gym doing weights. Thompson’s ankle injury was an awkward step when running through the pads which can happen to anyone, again this was on the field and not in the gym. JAC done his knee and ankle when his foot go caught in the turf during a game. Kiraz’s injury was during a game when a player came down on his knee in a bad position. Nu Brown’s injury was during a game against the warriors when he used his hand and elbow to hit the turf with in a tackle. A few others players got hit in the head in a game and missed a game or two when they failed their HIA and were forced to miss the following weeks game.

The only one I can think of who copped an injury possibly because of training methods could be Kikau who injured his pec. King playing injured all season could also be from our training methods/player burnout etc. I don’t think there’s any clear evidence our training methods were the culprit for all our injuries.

 

[Flanagun]

Honestly, I think we’ll be challenging for Spoon Bowl champs again with the likes of the tigers and titans

 

[bradyk]

I'm sorry but if there isn't vast improvement in 2024, there is something terribly wrong at Belmore! No more excuses (unless shocking run of injuries). This overall roster should not be vying for bottom 6 at worst!

This squad of some 9 players is top shelf and individually would be included in any other NRL team:
Burton
Kiks
Curran
Preston
Critta
Xerri
Kiraz
Mahoney
Fox

To a lesser extent we have this group of 8 players who are good enough to play very well and do the job a good coach assigns them:

King
Taafe
Hutchison
SST
Knight
Wilson
Skelton
Salmon

The remaining roster are talented prospects who should be eager to learn or experienced journeymen ready to put in for their coach and team but all are capable of stepping up.

Mann
Sutton
Hughes
Patolo
Morrin
Poasa
Turpin
Tanner
KO
Edwards

Then there's the Possibles and Up in Airers.
Topine
RFM
BBO
Rajab

Anything below 12th place is unacceptable with this roster, even allowing for lack of quality frontrowers. They all have to perform better than 2023 including CC and they all can.

Every team we vs that has a marquee middle and/or a half (some have 2 of each) we're going to struggle against. Even with the players you've listed on paper if you compare us to the other teams we're one of the worst teams imo.

 

[Bob dog]

Top 8, learn every lesson from '23, Ciraldo has had the learning curve and shown he can get them full of beans, Ive gotta do my bit.

 

[Dogtime]

We re no better roster wise than at least 12 teams. I'd suggest we finish around 14th.

 

[wendog33]

Every team we vs that has a marquee middle and/or a half (some have 2 of each) we're going to struggle against. Even with the players you've listed on paper if you compare us to the other teams we're one of the worst teams imo.

I expect "vast improvement" and no less

We know the short falls in the roster re halves and frontrow.

However there should be enough talent in our squad to win more games and show a "vast improvement" in 2024 compared to 2023....IF the players and coaching staff can get themselves to their best performance targets AND THEY SHOULD. Nothing less than that is acceptable. Our roster is "comparable" to other teams (other than the Top 4). Where we lose out in halves controlling the team, we gain by having a great backline. Where we lose out with frontrow, we have a great backrow and lock.

Of course halves and fronts are extremely important but the 6,7, 10, 8 we do have must step up from 2023 form and the coach must ensure they do, along with the whole team.

 

[bradyk]

I expect "vast improvement" and no less

We know the short falls in the roster re halves and frontrow.

However there should be enough talent in our squad to win more games and show a "vast improvement" in 2024 compared to 2023....IF the players and coaching staff can get themselves to their best performance targets AND THEY SHOULD. Nothing less than that is acceptable. Our roster is "comparable" to other teams (other than the Top 4). Where we lose out in halves controlling the team, we gain by having a great backline. Where we lose out with frontrow, we have a great backrow and lock.

Of course halves and fronts are extremely important but the 6,7, 10, 8 we do have must step up from 2023 form and the coach must ensure they do, along with the whole team.

To be fair if you go through our roster that was here this year and the players who will feature next year pretty much all of them underperformed or didn't play to the level we expected. The coach also impact wise was showing similar signs to Barrett. If this is a complete 180 next year maybe we can do something decent but I'm not expecting it. I think our roster is compareable to some of the bottom teams but even some of them have a marquee half (e.g. Hunt) or middles. If you go through Tiger line-up it's pretty 50/50 on paper.

 

[wendog33]

To be fair if you go through our roster that was here this year and the players who will feature next year pretty much all of them underperformed or didn't play to the level we expected. The coach also impact wise was showing similar signs to Barrett. If this is a complete 180 next year maybe we can do something decent but I'm not expecting it. I think our roster is compareable to some of the bottom teams but even some of them have a marquee half (e.g. Hunt) or middles. If you go through Tiger line-up it's pretty 50/50 on paper.

What I said.

We should be playing a lot better 2024 season and the coaching should be as well. It's the coaching staff who get them to play their best.

 

[_G-Dog_]

9-13.. Depends if this spine can click..

 

[Lost Dog]

Hopefully news on a couple of middles before season kick off. We need a belief of a top 8 spot.

 

[maroondog72]

Too early to say. I'll wait to see our final squad before making a prediction.

c'mon man our final squad has been announced on TK 200,00 times since we played our last game!! why the fuck would you wait for an official announcement to formulate an opinion on how we are going to go next year??

 

[Bazildog]

7-8th.

 

[Scoooby]

Top 8 hopeful, realistically 9-13 I’d say .