This is the best we have looked in 5 years.

[soc123_au]

For a team with no pack to speak of you guys are impressive. The guys playing in the middle are doing a fantastic job. Looks like CC does know what he is doing.

 

[Blueandwhiteblood1968]

Attack is evolving.. burto is swinging it to both sides of the ruck, and we’re seeing the fb chime in more. Taffe was trying it out before he got knocked out and Tracey is taking the torch successfully

We’re in the hunt for the 8 this year. It’s wide open and so long as injuries are contained, we will remain competitive and in the fight. Haah it’s now I wish we had Tpj

Agree with everything except the Tpj comment, lazy and too much negativity, glad he's gone!!!

 

[TwinTurbo]

For a team with no pack to speak of you guys are impressive. The guys playing in the middle are doing a fantastic job. Looks like CC does know what he is doing.

Depends on what you mean by "pack". We have a very decent hooker (Mahony), 2 x high quality 2nd rowers (Kikau & Preston) with more than decent back ups and a quality lock (Curtin) also with multiple back ups (Mann & Hayward). If you mean props we have an NRL quality prop (King) with 3 very promising mobile forwards (Hughes, Farmer Silly & Kautoga) that can handle prop and 2nd row. It seems a popular media driven opinion that we don't have an "alfa prop" but the style of game we play, line speed, fast play the balls and support defenders with multiples in tackles doesn't need the typical alfa prop. Kikau also does a lot of defending in the middle 1/3rd and he's fairly intimidating.


Always a Bulldog

 

[The DoggFather]

But wait. Isn’t Ciraldo shit and the “assistant” and Gould has no idea? That was the talk after the Parra and sharks games. Hell that was the talk even after our trials

Or are we trusting the process. Isn’t Gus shit because he doesn’t sign AFB or Haas or JFH or May or anyone else? Or is it better we don’t over pay for players to get us into cap trouble again?

Like I have said all along if not Gus then who. This team was a basket case. Not a click your fingers and we are premiership threats. We had very little in terms of juniors and catchment. Gus had spread a net far and wide from bundeberg to Nz and many places in between. We have recruited a few Marquee players who weren’t in crucial positions. But now the results are coming slowly (seeming slower then most on here who want instant results). We lost to the knights on aggregate by 100-6 or something crazy last year. We almost beat them 40+ to 6 yesterday. Yes maybe knights are struggling but regardless our team last year still loses to that team.

we have a long path to go. But we are on our way, and the system, training, defence and resilience instilled by Ciraldo is starting to show. Yes he is still a rookie but he is the new wave of young coaches that will be the super coaches in the next 15-20 years. Ciraldo, Webster, even I guess ryles and To a lesser extent Fitzgibbon are the next wave of career coaches. That is who you’d want at the club before Arthur, Hasler and even Bennett who’s games as a nrl coach are probably limited.

Always trusted Gus and I'm starting to trust CC as the boys are.

Plus having players that actually want to play for our jersey and earn their money helps too.

 

[FaceBreaker]

I am thinking we make the eight.

Remember we have a lot of players that have big game experience now so I am thinking we actually have a chance to go deep into the finals.

 

[The DoggFather]

I am thinking we make the eight.

Remember we have a lot of players that have big game experience now so I am thinking we actually have a chance to go deep into the finals.

Preseason I called 10th-12th, im changing that to 7th-9th.

 

[soc123_au]

Depends on what you mean by "pack". We have a very decent hooker (Mahony), 2 x high quality 2nd rowers (Kikau & Preston) with more than decent back ups and a quality lock (Curtin) also with multiple back ups (Mann & Hayward). If you mean props we have an NRL quality prop (King) with 3 very promising mobile forwards (Hughes, Farmer Silly & Kautoga) that can handle prop and 2nd row. It seems a popular media driven opinion that we don't have an "alfa prop" but the style of game we play, line speed, fast play the balls and support defenders with multiples in tackles doesn't need the typical alfa prop. Kikau also does a lot of defending in the middle 1/3rd and he's fairly intimidating.


Always a Bulldog

Yeah, very media driven, but also a pretty common theme on here in the lead up to the season. In any case, they are playing well, so it doesn't really matter. I'm looking forward to playing you guys in a few weeks, based on the last few weeks it could be a decent match up.

 

[Alan79]

I hope Ciraldo has finally seen the light. Hutcho 1 try assist and zero tries in 7 games out of 26 or more tries we've scored. That's f..king disgusting stats for a 7.
Hopefully Ciraldo sees the bye as the perfect opportunity to swap our 7 and give him plenty of training time before the next game. Hopefully he was waiting for Sexton to pull his finger out which it looks like he's done the last 2 weeks. Taaffe also showed more in 2 minutes in attack today as a 7 than Hutcho has in 7 whole games

He's actually got more try assists than Flanagan had by r7 last year.

 

[boggie23]

Preseason I called 10th-12th, im changing that to 7th-9th.

According to numorology we win or finish with the spoon hahah Im leaning towards winning will be way more fun

 

[CaptainJackson]

The attitude CC has instilled into the 17, let's it be know to the reserves and juniors, that if you want to break into the starting 17 you need a to bust a gut and play for your mates that whole 80.

Don't think we'll have a single player who steps into 1st grade from now on who won't show commitment

 

[doggieaaron]

Agreed and great to watch

 

[Dogs4EVA-1]

I hope Ciraldo has finally seen the light. Hutcho 1 try assist and zero tries in 7 games out of 26 or more tries we've scored. That's f..king disgusting stats for a 7.
Hopefully Ciraldo sees the bye as the perfect opportunity to swap our 7 and give him plenty of training time before the next game. Hopefully he was waiting for Sexton to pull his finger out which it looks like he's done the last 2 weeks. Taaffe also showed more in 2 minutes in attack today as a 7 than Hutcho has in 7 whole games

I hope you're right... Hutch is now holding us back... Sexton has to be given a chance,.. Tracey is our FB for the rest of the year.. he's outstanding and we look far more dangerous than we ever did with Taffe... Hughes is really coming on.. Patolo needs to go.. hes too injury prone now.. I'd like to see Kautoga given a good long run up in the NRL, i think he could really be something

 

[Dogs4EVA-1]

I hope you're right... Hutch is now holding us back... Sexton has to be given a chance,.. Tracey is our FB for the rest of the year.. he's outstanding and we look far more dangerous than we ever did with Taffe... Hughes is really coming on.. Patolo needs to go.. hes too injury prone now.. I'd like to see Kautoga given a good long run up in the NRL, i think he could really be something

We still need that real dominant middle who can punch holes in the opposition consistently

 

[MatstaDogg]

The fact we are actually competing for the 80 minutes and that the players seem to want to play for each other has me very excited on the prospect of us actually making an impact on the 8. The losses to Souths (we we're ripped off that game) and to Melbourne hurt as both those games should have ended in wins for us. Few more games under the belt and the combinations should really start to shine. I am definitely excited to watch us play now. Up the Doggies!

 

[Dogs4EVA-1]

It looks like we have our halves of the future (altho a few years away) in Woods & Conti.. its just a matter of waiting for them to come through..
all the Juniors and Cup teams are all doing well..
Matts = Minor Prems (narrow loss in Prelim)
SG Ball = Grand Finalists
Flegg = 2nd on Ladder
NSW Cup = 4th

I still think its time to punt Hutch, give SEXbomb a try.. if he doesn't work, THEN maybe try O'Neill as hes been playing cup for a while now

 

[hoody06]

I'm old (ish). This season has 1991 vibes for me. Young hungry players sprinkled with hardened first grade players to show the way. That approach in 1991 brought about the success of the teams in 93-95. I think 2024-28 will be an outstanding 5 year block for the club. Hopefully claiming the ultimate prize just as we did back then. Up the dogs!

Sent from my SM-S921B using Tapatalk

 

[Roger the alien]

On the bench instead of Patolo I guess

Gotta earn it first, there's other forwards busting their arse week in week out in cup who deserve the chance to pull on the jersey in first grade before this guy imo.

 

[rexest]

Maybe more. I can’t remember the last time we actually looked like a unit.

Even some of our losses we looked good and just lost it in the end or got fucked by refs.

Our attack is dependant on our left edge however our defense is also stoic.

I would love for sexton to get a run as I think Hutchinson doesn’t offer much.

We have all been through some shit these last few years but finally we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

Hutchison did some good things yesterday things that go unnoticed his service to burton was good and his linespeed in d was cracka he shot out of the line to stop a player in his tracks more then once

 

[Wearnze]

Although Preston and Mann are big injuries we have been able to cover them unlike last years.

If we can remain injury free we should continue to move up with other clubs all missing key players - Cleary, Moses, Fogarty, Big Tino, The Hammer, Ponga, Reynolds, plus many more I’m sure I’ve missed. Many clubs missing their first choice playmaker too. Many big names out wary in the year for extended periods helps us if we can remain fit - which we are - more fit than most clubs which is so unlike us in recent years.

 

[spscand]

5 years? More like 10. Literally absolute trash since 2014 final loss. And got worse and worse.

This is the first season i back us every game we play! Havent felt this in 10 years.