G’Day,
Thank you for making a genuine and thoughtful out response, rather than simply baiting.
My original argument that you cannot blame the Bulldogs poor performances, and say he can’t do the job he is employed to do because he isn’t trim still stands. If they aren’t fit enough then sure, he should fall on his own sword, but that won’t be because of his own weight. I’ll say no more on that as I’m tired of rebuking a couple of humans on here.
I will agree with just about everything you’d said. No problem with it. It’s a results based industry and the results at the Bulldogs have been poor for far too long. But the roster that Barrett and Co had last year, and Pay the years prior, were poor ones. Bellamy, Robinson, Bennett, even bloody Gibson wouldn’t have had success. Sure, it probably would’ve been a little better, but not bloody much. They’d have been able to attract players, but if they were simply coaching from the same talent pool that Pay and Barrett had/have- they’d have still had poor years.
I will disagree with Mr Gould and say that I don’t believe fitness and defence are the Bulldogs BIGGEST deficiencies. Sure, both are bad, as is their attack, but the biggest failing at the Bulldogs, just my opinion, is in recruitment and development, and that is an area he has had success.
I hope he is able to implement at Canterbury what he did at Penrith, The Roosters, and then Penrith again in regard to recruitment and redevelopment. But let’s not forget that’s not just the Gould way, it was actually the Canterbury way. It’s something I’ve little doubt he learned through his time at the Bulldogs, and it’s something that has been lost for about the last 15 years.
I can only draw on about 40 years of following the Bulldogs so I can’t comment on the sides of the late 1930- early 1940’s. But when I think about the periods that the Bulldogs were true powerhouses of the competition, the team was largely built around footballers that had had been developed through their system. Think the sides of the late 1970’s up to and including 1995, and the early 2000’s through to about 2006. I don’t count the years of 2012 and 2014 as great successes despite making the grand finals. Both sides had good years and possessed some handy players, but were easily outclassed on the day. By then, under Hasler, the Club already moved away from the old Canterbury approach of recruitment and development, instead preferring to buy in talent. The bandaid approach. And look how that’s ended up. We’re still suffering because of it.
Some might argue that you can’t do that anymore due to the salary cap, but Melbourne do it, the Roosters do it, and now the Panthers do it. That’s what I hope Gould is able to reintroduce to the Bulldogs.
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I don’t mean to be a downer, but I don’t see 2022 being the raging success some do. It’s got to be an improvement, no doubt, and if it is not, then they should all be cleaned out. More realistically, I think from 2023 is the more reasonable time frame to demand success.
Yes, there’s been some good recruitment. Burton has the potential to be the best buy the Dogs have made since T. Lamb. Similar ages, and both of them genuine footballers, not just athletes they’re trying to make into footballers (ala Averillo). Other than that, though, you’ve got a couple of dirt and diamonds players in Pangai Jr and Dufty, an aging front rower whose powers have been waning long before he held a BBQ at his place, a fringe outside back from the Panthers, and a quick, but small winger who has been lucky to have played out of Melbourne recently.
Given the cattle for next year, the new squad, the lack of quality in key positions, and the drawer, I think 9-12 is a realistic position to expect. I hope I am wrong.
Cheers
