News (Yawn..) Cronk: Dogs spent $3m to become a contender but ignored one key issue. It spells ‘trouble’

[Moedogg]

The Bulldogs have splashed cash on some of the best attacking players in the NRL, but it will count for little if their defensive woes continue.

That’s the message from rugby league great Cooper Cronk who played in a gobsmacking nine NRL grand finals throughout his illustrious carer.

The Bulldogs - who would take just making the finals next year - have overhauled their roster after finishing second last in 2020 and collecting the wooden spoon this year.

Coach Trent Barrett arrived at the end of 2020, fresh off helping Penrith to the grand final as an assistant, and he immediately went on a signing spree.

Barrett landed Panthers trio Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr and Brent Naden, Dragons duo Matt Dufty, Paul Vaughan and Storm superstar Josh Addo-Carr for the 2022 season.

Things then ramped up a notch when rugby league mastermind Phil Gould returned to Canterbury in July as the club’s general manager.

That saw the Dogs sign Eels star hooker Reed Mahoney and Panthers forward Viliame Kikau for the 2023 season.

It means in 2023, between Pangai Jr ($750,000), Addo-Carr ($500,000), Burton ($500,000), Kikau ($800,000) and Mahoney ($600,000) - the Dogs will be spending $3.15 million of their $10 million salary cap on just five players.

It will be one of the most star-studded rosters in the competition but Cronk believes the recruiting strategy has focused too much on attacking players.

The Bulldogs were one of the worst defensive teams in the NRL over the past two seasons, leaking 25.2 points per game in 2020 and 29.5 points per game in 2021.

Cronk questioned whether the Dogs have spent their cash wisely, emphasising that teams who win the competition prioritise defence.

“The Dogs had issues scoring points so they went out and bought a lot of attacking players and I don’t know if that’s the right approach for the Bulldogs,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.

“Yes they need to score points and yes they need to have a threat but they also need to keep that (old) Bulldogs mentality about defence and that hardnose approach to winning games.

Look at the last three or four games of the season, they were low scoring and the best defensive team ended up winning the competition.”

Burton, Pangai Jr, Naden and Kikau are coming from that team but as individuals they statistically have some defensive flaws.

The quartet conceded - either a penalty or a six again - 54 times in 2021. However, Pangai Jr moved from the Broncos mid-season.

Dufty doesn’t give away penalty but he missed almost one in three tackles last season and wasn’t offered a new contract at the Dragons because of his defence.

“I’m really interested to see how the Bulldogs go, they’ve got some real talent there, Josh Addo-Carr, Burton, Pangai Jr, Vaughan, Dufty, all those guys are great players but they probably think scoring tries and creativity first,” Cronk said.

“Matt Dufty, if you believe the reports out of the Dragons, he was moved on because of his work ethic defensively.

It will be super interesting to see how Trent Barrett gets that team together.

“(Their defence) hasn’t been good enough, they’ve been down the bottom of the ladder, you can bring all the attacking flair your want to a team but if you can’t stop a team scoring points then you’re in trouble.

“They have the potential to be like the Wests Tigers in 2005 - and I’m not saying the Bulldogs will win the comp - but the Wests Tigers won the competition by outscoring the opposition.

“If they can get those attacking-mindset players to think defence first then I think the Bulldogs can climb up the ladder.

“If they don’t, they might improve just slightly.”

Dogs spent $3m to become a contender but ignored one key issue. It spells ‘trouble’

The Dogs spent $3m to become a contender but ignored one key issue. It spells ‘trouble’

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[dekepefc]

We needed to be able to keep the ball and apply scoreboard pressure. Defending back to back sets then making shit yardage followed by awful 5th tackle options is going to make any team tired. Fatigue plays such a massive role in defence, probably the most significant. So by fixing our attack our defence will improve.

 

[bradyk]

We can't buy everything lol. We've almost done as well as we possibly could in recruitment imo. Dufty, JAC, Naden, Burton, Vaughan, Mahoney, Thompson, Kikau, TPJ (and Burns, Cook, King) ... and we have good kids coming through.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

He's right but he's also wrong.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Another contender for misleading headline of the year award

 

[NPC83]

We needed to be able to keep the ball and apply scoreboard pressure. Defending back to back sets then making shit yardage followed by awful 5th tackle options is going to make any team tired. Fatigue plays such a massive role in defence, probably the most significant. So by fixing our attack our defence will improve.

That’s exactly right. We were bogged down in our own end for too long and got an average kick away at set end which kept us under pressure. Sure defensive wins games, Always has but you got to put pressure on the other team when you got the ball. Something we haven’t done well for a long time.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

That’s exactly right. We were bogged down in our own end for too long and got an average kick away at set end which kept us under pressure. Sure defensive wins games, Always has but you got to put pressure on the other team when you got the ball. Something we haven’t done well for a long time.

Cronk is correct that defensively we were poor this season, but as stated in several threads there were circumstances and we were heavily targeted by 6 agains also.
Difference next year is that we have players that can make individual breaks to get us out of trouble. We had no one that run 100m , no one who could make a one on one line break, no fullback that would back up the ruck or who could ball play, no middle that could create an off load. We now have that and it will make a MASSIVE difference next year.

 

[liljohny]

Doing his best to move the spotlight away from the Roosters Salary Cap.

 

[ddt192]

Hard to defend continuously when the refs have u camped on your line for 4 or 5 straight sets back to back. That fuckin 6 again bell ringing off like a mf

 

[Dingo]

And yet no eyebrows are raised at other clubs sporting multiple million dollar players. The truth is they want us to stay down forever but we are getting up quickly. The defence issue has been more strategical than individual.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Oh, FMD Cronk seriously, what are you farkin on about. Do you really believe that JAC has forgotten about how Melbourne players defend? How was Burton defense, 85% while playing out of position in the centres, one of if not the most difficult defensive positions on the field. Has he also forgotten about how Penrith defense works, rather important since they made the most tackles of any team in the NRL last season. How about Vaughan, 98% tackle efficiency, average 31 tackles in 50 minutes per game. You didn't seem to mention their defensive credentials.

Of course select Dufty as your example, farkin typical of your commentary, only mention the things that support your view but never say anything at all about those that don't. You are an expert at expectation bias, you form a view and then only use things that confirm that view and anything that refutes it is instantly discarded.

FWIW, last year our defense wasn't that bad until we were exhausted from having no attack to move play downfield and get out of our red zone. Hence next season we won't have to do anywhere near as much defending, so it will improve just for that reason alone. But of course don't mention that Cronk you flog.

On the subject of bias, how come you don't mention the Chooks who are over $6m for 8 players, just in case you failed maths that's lot worse than $3m for 5 players.


Always a Bulldog

 

[NPC83]

Cronk is correct that defensively we were poor this season, but as stated in several threads there were circumstances and we were heavily targeted by 6 agains also.
Difference next year is that we have players that can make individual breaks to get us out of trouble. We had no one that run 100m , no one who could make a one on one line break, no fullback that would back up the ruck or who could ball play, no middle that could create an off load. We now have that and it will make a MASSIVE difference next year.

Thanks Steve. I think most teams would be defensively poor if they were always on the wrong end of possession and territory as we were. Not sure but think you are agreeing with me re: having some players that will make a big difference in attack. The players we bought may also make some others pull up their socks.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Thanks Steve. I think most teams would be defensively poor if they were always on the wrong end of possession and territory as we were. Not sure but think you are agreeing with me re: having some players that will make a big difference in attack. The players we bought may also make some others pull up their socks.

Yeh agree mate. We now have options that can get us out of trouble instead if being dominated

 

[H-dog]

I think he underestimated how much different we are in regarding upgrading most positions to actually first graders that can tackle rather than just relying on Jackson. If JMK stays on the field more next year he and Jackson will keep the middle better plus having Vaughn as well. No hoppa in the centres getting run around and end to our sets from burtons boot will make for a completely different team. I get kicking game is for attack but it can also be a great tool for defence no more lollipop kicks but floating bombs I can’t wait

 

[cookieman909]

He’s got a point to be fair. But when you have shit forwards your constantly stuck in your own end. Any time we would get a team stuck down there end they’d pin us for a penalty or six again. Our forward pack is 10 times better next season.

 

[Caveman]

Swings and roundabouts... stat's change every year, squads change every year- the ladder changes every year.

Of course we were poor defensively last year we were the wooden spooners for crying out loud.

We've been astute at signing players that will go along way to address that and as a result the stat's should change.

I personally bet him my property portfolio vs his property portfolio that our defensive stat's will be much better than last year, let's see if he actually believes the drible he's written.

 

[surfdog]

And here i was thinking that sending out a team of mainly reserve graders and kids every week may have been a large part of our problem, but i haven't been to Harvard

 

[Moey]

What a crap article. Cronk has always hated us and nothing has changed

 

[bulldogsmyte]

The Bulldogs have splashed cash on some of the best attacking players in the NRL, but it will count for little if their defensive woes continue.

That’s the message from rugby league great Cooper Cronk who played in a gobsmacking nine NRL grand finals throughout his illustrious carer.

The Bulldogs - who would take just making the finals next year - have overhauled their roster after finishing second last in 2020 and collecting the wooden spoon this year.

Coach Trent Barrett arrived at the end of 2020, fresh off helping Penrith to the grand final as an assistant, and he immediately went on a signing spree.

Barrett landed Panthers trio Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr and Brent Naden, Dragons duo Matt Dufty, Paul Vaughan and Storm superstar Josh Addo-Carr for the 2022 season.

Things then ramped up a notch when rugby league mastermind Phil Gould returned to Canterbury in July as the club’s general manager.

That saw the Dogs sign Eels star hooker Reed Mahoney and Panthers forward Viliame Kikau for the 2023 season.

It means in 2023, between Pangai Jr ($750,000), Addo-Carr ($500,000), Burton ($500,000), Kikau ($800,000) and Mahoney ($600,000) - the Dogs will be spending $3.15 million of their $10 million salary cap on just five players.

It will be one of the most star-studded rosters in the competition but Cronk believes the recruiting strategy has focused too much on attacking players.

The Bulldogs were one of the worst defensive teams in the NRL over the past two seasons, leaking 25.2 points per game in 2020 and 29.5 points per game in 2021.

Cronk questioned whether the Dogs have spent their cash wisely, emphasising that teams who win the competition prioritise defence.

“The Dogs had issues scoring points so they went out and bought a lot of attacking players and I don’t know if that’s the right approach for the Bulldogs,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.

“Yes they need to score points and yes they need to have a threat but they also need to keep that (old) Bulldogs mentality about defence and that hardnose approach to winning games.

Look at the last three or four games of the season, they were low scoring and the best defensive team ended up winning the competition.”

Burton, Pangai Jr, Naden and Kikau are coming from that team but as individuals they statistically have some defensive flaws.

The quartet conceded - either a penalty or a six again - 54 times in 2021. However, Pangai Jr moved from the Broncos mid-season.

Dufty doesn’t give away penalty but he missed almost one in three tackles last season and wasn’t offered a new contract at the Dragons because of his defence.

“I’m really interested to see how the Bulldogs go, they’ve got some real talent there, Josh Addo-Carr, Burton, Pangai Jr, Vaughan, Dufty, all those guys are great players but they probably think scoring tries and creativity first,” Cronk said.

“Matt Dufty, if you believe the reports out of the Dragons, he was moved on because of his work ethic defensively.

It will be super interesting to see how Trent Barrett gets that team together.

“(Their defence) hasn’t been good enough, they’ve been down the bottom of the ladder, you can bring all the attacking flair your want to a team but if you can’t stop a team scoring points then you’re in trouble.

“They have the potential to be like the Wests Tigers in 2005 - and I’m not saying the Bulldogs will win the comp - but the Wests Tigers won the competition by outscoring the opposition.

“If they can get those attacking-mindset players to think defence first then I think the Bulldogs can climb up the ladder.

“If they don’t, they might improve just slightly.”

Dogs spent $3m to become a contender but ignored one key issue. It spells ‘trouble’

The Dogs spent $3m to become a contender but ignored one key issue. It spells ‘trouble’

www.foxsports.com.au

I think we'll get better treatment from the WWE refs next year in terms of penalties and 6 agains because of their own confirmation bias of which team should win due to our stronger roster and having a strong media influence in our club in Gus. The top teams get better treatment particularly the 50-50 calls and laying on top of tackled players because the refs believe they should be winning the game. So the refs think nothing of it if they continually give tho top teams penalties during the game. A cellar dweller team rarely gets on top against a top side because the refs will cane them in the ruck knowing they won't get scrutinised. It's a self fulfilling prophecy from the refs.

 

[Interestingg]

Cronk still upset about the 2014 semi final we ambushed his crooked face