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Looking at the Reserves side going to Tamworth, squad depth is starting to look a bit thin. I can't see many in that side ready to step up to firsts. The only player coming back soon is Sam Hughes apparently. That Canberra crowd is probably the most rabid in NRL. Dogs need to get on top and...

Will probably only be one game off the top of the ladder when 4 of those players return. A mid-season breather for so many forwards will work in our favour.

Dogs can still lose this week and one other of the next four, and still end up equal to Storm, and just behind Raiders on top. With Warriors in the mix as well. It's still a pretty good position to be in with key players Curran and Preston and even Tupouniua engaged in full training but rested...

I reckon Gus knows there has been a lack of discipline, and is unhappy about that. But he also watches other games and it is pretty bleeding obvious that Melbourne Storm, for example, are not so well disciplined they could have only committed three offences all year for the judiciary to...

Assuming Hopoi comes onto the bench for Preston, the question is who starts out wide? Hayes or Salmon?

Tupouniua 5 weeks, Curran 3 weeks, Preston 3 weeks. Bulldogs 14 charges so far this year. Am I the only one seeing a pattern? Melbourne Storm have had 3 charges all year - only fines. I guess they must have great disciplined players, like Loiero?

Not really disagreeing with that. You're probably right. Hayward is probably getting the ball under less pressure than Sexton. It is just that Hayward seems to me to have a better idea what he is going to do with the ball, and can adjust better if something happens in the play. And Sexton...

We won't be after Cobbo. For that very reason.

I really hope you're right.

Any of the back 5 could get 3-2-1 in this game. Tino was by far the best player on the field. It just has to be said because he was so dominant & the Bulldogs seem to struggle against such high quality players. As did Sexton. When Hayward gets the ball you can see he is looking for an...

Can't see Ciraldo being happy with that at all. Apart from the two points. Again, Sexton seems to make mistakes, have no answers, whenever he is put under pressure. A finals game is nothing but pressure for a 7. A concerning weak-spot.

I don´t want to start a big discussion about this, but can someone tell me what the general view was on Mitchell´s suspension? Looked really bad to me, and I was surprised only one week. I think Tupouniua´s knees came up instinctively. There is no way players will train to do that. And I don´t...

Gold Coast have Chris Randall in 2nd row. Gee, if I had to choose between Randall and Harry Hayes in a starting side, I´d take Hayes. And Hayes is on the Bulldogs bench. Along with Mann. No Fifita for Titans BTW. They would have no more than two or three players who would get picked in the...

Hopoi might still start on the bench instead of Morrin. Unblikely but Ciraldo might wake up tomorrow and think it´s a good idea.

Other clubs are interested in Sexton and therefore pushing up his price because they a) don't have an alternative (like Hayward) and b) don't have any worthwhile young talent coming through (like Woods and others). So the Bulldogs don't need to get into a bidding war. We can also offer Sexton...

The real point of this thread, and others like it suggesting big name players come to the dogs, is Bulldogs have got to where they are now by recruiting & developing players who are hungry to be part of the Bulldogs culture. Are prepared to do the hard work. Who can't get enough pain. Any player...

Try Castle street for Parra games. Bit of a walk but once you get to your car you're on your way. Next to Belmore Park!

I had no problems last year watching Fox in Europe using NordVPN through an Australian server. Or any other Australian TV. Would be very helpful to know if they are getting better at blocking. I was counting on not having any problems this year during the finals. If anyone is using Fox/Nord from...

Reminds you of Karlos Nasar, the Bulgarian weighlifter? BTW, how's the therapy going 'SARGE'?

Flanagan complaining St George thought they had a 'right of reply' to Latu. What a mug. It is exactly the sort of comment that is make St George players look elsewhere. You will never hear such peevish garbage come out of Ciraldo's mouth.

'monkey boy'? 'were your ancestors chimps or gorillas?' ? Is this a joke? Or do some supposed christians out there really express themselves this way?

Fair enough. Religion brings peace. I'll leave all you peaceful people alone. But just out of curiosity, which of your religions was here first?

Why do people who believe some guy in the sky made the world in seven days (or six), & controls everything that happens in the world, think they have a right to intrude into the lives of others? Especially with some of the horrible things happening around the world right now in the name of...

Exactly. Gus is hardly likely to say we're interviewing with him tomorrow and then talking to DCE. But I think it means both things could be true. Gus is interested or Gus is not interested. It's a stupid question.

He will be worth a lot more in 2027 after leading the Bulldogs to a premiership, or two. And will be easier for him to switch to another top 4 club. If he leaves now for a non-top 4 club, or worse, he may end up being on less for the final few years of his career. Sexton probably also knows...

Tigers probably have a good idea what is actually going on. Gus will as well. The Manly/DCE theory may have something in it?

Gus probably makes just as much out of media commentary as being Bulldogs football manager. So he needs to comment on the ability of players across the comp. If Gus was genuinely interested in Galvin, I don't think he'd be talking up his price either. Maybe Gus is helping out Galvin's manager...

Galvin may be one of those players who end up with a career littered with big-money contracts that he has not seen through to the end. I'm suspicious of managers who benefit financially from players leaving contracts early and switch clubs. And players who throw their toys out of the cot if they...

Salmon re-signed until 2027. Good on him.

Maybe they should bring back the Amco Cup on Wednesday nights? Including having regional clubs eligible. Western Division beat Penrith in the final at Leichhardt in 1974. How good was rugby league then!

When Rothfield says 'rumours at the club', does he mean thekennel? The NRL & referees need to start protecting Bulldogs players who are coached not to react to the niggle or dirty play. Unlike other sides that are coached to carry on like pork chops just about every tackle. Mahoney is one of the...

There aren't too many half backs at the same level as Sexton and under 30 years old. So he shouldn't have trouble getting other offers. Despite that, Sexton is better off making a name for himself at the Dogs under Ciraldo for a couple of years or more & then going for a big dollar contract.

Hopefully Daley doesn't muck him around and try to change his game. Daley and Fittler are both notorious for undermining player confidence, taking good players from their clubs and putting weird ideas inside their heads.

3 Preston 2 King 1 Mahoney Of course, every player lifted and contributed in a tough game. But Salmon, Wilson & Tracey stood out for not hesitating to put their bodies on the line.

Who remembers the time Sam Kasiano was penalised for falling on a half back lying on the ground. No swinging arm or knees. Nothing dirty. Just fell on him. It was basically a penalty for Sam being 120 kilos. It is clear these days even if the first contact is with another part of the body, force...

Salmon has won me over. Ciraldo spoke about how they weathered the early Cronulla pressure and I thought Salmon played a big part in that. He obviously trains hard & plays to the best of his ability. But his body language and interaction with other players in the shed after the game was...

We already have a mentor for Woods and his name is Jason Taylor. Who doesn't extract $800k a year out of the salary cap. The week to week media attention and expectations that would follow DCE around would risk undermining the bond that now exists in the squad. While everyone is in Belmore...

I'm very confident we will win as I just received a message in a Bulldogs coaches group chat, I think by mistake, which is saying we will launch an overwhelming surprise attack using the weather as cover. And that the 'enemy' (I assume the Sharks) won't see it coming. Has anyone else got this...

Some are getting excited about a couple of spectacular Sharks tries against a Souths side that actually won the second half last week. Both Haywood and Sexton have good grubbers and Mahoney can kick from DH. Sharks will expect the Bulldogs game plan to be the same as last week except for the...

The weather forecast for Saturday is up to 50mm of rain with winds up to 25kmh coming from the South. A game at Cronulla is going to cop the bad weather. Cronulla crowd be down with the weather for a start. Maybe the one out game against the Eels, keeping the ball tight was a good rehearsal for...

Actually Dogs just came back into 16/1 after my post. Did someone here see that and bet on the Dogs? I was about to take the 18/1 Will shut up next time

Bulldogs win first three games of the season and their odds to win the GF drift from 16/1 to 18/1. With four of their best players on the sideline. It's a funny world.

The Trials are finally over. Season starts this week.

Because Burton's kicks come down with icicles on them and Sexton's kicks are little lollipops.

Coming from from a long line of inbred ***** I take offence at that slur.

Congratulations on his 50th game. If he finds a club willing to pay what he wants, good luck to him. If we re-sign him for a reasonable price then he will be handy as the squad continues to develop. It's about realistic expectations and commitment.

Classic NRL referee fiasco. Must be the only sport where the rules are interpreted differently in individual games. I don't even watch Storm games as as they're playing a completely different sport - where forward passes are the norm and their No 6 can say whatever he wants to the referee or...

It seems like the consensus is 4 players stood out: King, Tracey, Montoya and Preston. Was there a performance gap between these 4 and the rest of the side?

Coming from a long line of 'peasants' I take offence to that. And I certainly prefer winning to the alternative.

I was just relieved to see King come back on. The other rotations didn't seem to make much difference one way or another. Although I wondered where Morrin was at one stage & he was standing out wide next.

Wilson may not play Origin but he still has more commitment than any player from say three years ago. If wingers are gong to play like front rowers to give them a break, then mistakes need to be accepted. That's the risk. Which is why Montoya was so important today. Every single hit up he made...

My plan is to do the same as the team. Don't think about Sharks until tomorrow morning. We're still a chance of an upset. The team that is coming 12th lost their best player in the first ten minutes against the Storm and still manage to bustle & nearly beat them with a Bulldogs reject in the...

Xerri usually needs some creativity from inside. Someone to give him that extra bit of space. His first couple of steps are usually flat footed as he needs a few steps to balance and get moving. His footwork can be good. But again he needs to have momentum first. And you're right, there are...

That was a gutsy effort. Just get the two points no matter how ugly. Start again tomorrow for next week.

I think we're lucky to have Eels the week before Sharks with the two key injuries. It means Ciraldo can make a couple of minor changes this week (like bring in Hutcison and Todd - or maybe Hopoi) and tweak next week as necessary. Rather than move too many players around and prep for a top 4 side...

Maybe Ciraldo will name Bailey 6 and Hutchison 14. And switch them an hour before kick-off. And don't rule out Hopoi named in the squad today and also named to start on Kikau's edge an hour before kick-off.

Like Gus says 'pretty much the same', apart from the bit where they're different.

Posts about O'Neill's form in NSW Cup are appreciated. He didn't seem to stand out last week or in trials either. Hutchison seems to be the best 'next man up option'. With the possibility of naming Hayward in 6 and Hutchison 14 and see how things pan out. Will help work out what to do for the...

Woods always seems to be sitting next to a senior player as well.

Have to agree. I was expecting Xerri to be doing more by now. He seems to have all the attributes of a good centre, but rarely stands out. It might just be lack of opportunity or is there something wrong with the way he is getting the ball? He is one player who needs to lift next few weeks. I'm...

All I got out of that Tigers-Eels game was Knights fans might as well give up following NRL after this season and Brown arrives. They'd be better off switching to the West Coast Eagles for the next 10 years. Oh, and one other thing. Tigers got Luaui for a bargain.

3. Salmon 2. King 1. Tracey. I thought that was Salmon's best NRL game. I think he will continue to improve as well. Mahoney's contribution should not be underestimated either. I left out Preston because it is pretty obvious how good he is. He is above 3-2-1s.

If we were playing Sharks I'd live with Hutchison. But because it is the Eels maybe O'Neill is worth a try. Also, other players may be more experienced, like Mann, but putting O'Neill (or Hutchison straight in) means there is less shuffling players around.

There is no reason why Bulldogs can't win still at least two of the next three going into the bye. With hopefully Burton back for Round 7. Rather than shuffling players around, especially Crichton, an option might be to just slot O'Neill and Hopoi straight into the starting sides. If 'the...

OK, just heading out to the shed now to dig out the records of the biggest ladder move. If you don't hear back from me by tomorrow. I've probably forgotten what I was looking for.

I usually arrive for reserve grade and easily find a park in Quigg Street Lakemba. It is about 20 minutes walk. But means I can pick up some food in Lakemba after the game and stock up the fridge for a week. Plus a kg or two of falafel mix to put in the freezer. With the 6:30pm time slot, might...

Actually, 'the question will be answered' over the last four games of the regular season. And then, if we make it, the finals. The article doesn't mention Hughes, Todd or Underhill either.

Agree we're definitely thin on back up 9s. But I find it more interesting to look at players already in the Bulldogs jersey. Like Alan Holten.

Agree with all your points. Although maybe you are being too kind to Otukolo, one of the worst DH passing games I've seen, and Bryant is years away from being an NRL back-up. If ever. I thought he was the ball boy when he came on. Although he can pass. If the idea with the subbing was to just...

Sitili, Hayes and to some extent Mann are impact players and work hard to play that role. They were fantastic but could only look sensational because of the hard work put in by all the players on for the first 20. And because St George are terrible. The real test will be when we face better...

I saw this one the news last night. It didn't seem to be something to be upset about after the stories about Israel bombing Palestine, Russia bombing Ukraine and people having their houses flooded up north or getting washed off a bridge at Dorrigo. We have more to worry about than someone...

My impression was the difference was the Bulldogs were the better side. Literally.

Do you really think it is a good idea to start correcting grammar on the kennel? What should of he said?

Should be ready for NRL in say 2033? If we keep him. I was planning on celebrating at least three premierships by then.

NRL clearly doesn't want to reschedule games & upset Sportsbet.

So bench will probably be Hayward, Mann/Salmon, Curran and Sitili? Although Mann/Salmon, Curran, Sitili and Hayes would be interesting.

We were going to win the game even after Dragons took the lead. And it was effectively only a trial. As is next week, which will be tougher. The real season starts Round 3.

You mean like Sherwin v Thurston?

I imagine he was relatively cheap. Gutherson and Holmes would not have been. Plus Kyle Flanagan is probably on big money as well.

I don't think the Roosters would know what to do with him. He's a much better fit under Ciraldo's game plan. Having said that, the Saints were already losing shape by the time Sitili came on. It will be interesting to see how better organised sides counter the Hayes/Sitili/Curran/Mann...

I've been a Wilson fan since before he was first promoted to NRL. The first thing I look for in a Bulldog is attitude and commitment. Both Wilson and Montoya have that in spades. After that they need to do the job asked of them. Which again both those players offer. If they can do all that and...

That penalty is just inviting other sides like Storm and Brisbane to actually play for that particular penalty. Complete joke. Having said that, although Preston was unlucky to get a fine, Crichton was lucky that was all he got.

To be fair, when Burton was tackled into touch, he started his run looking for Fox and got such a surprise when he saw Montoya he didn't pass & just kept going sideways. Maybe Burton's video sessions this week should include watching Fox play for Eels?

It's a good point. Lack of opportunity? Sexton was very much focused on game management. Which makes sense at this stage of the season. I didn't pick up much that he could have done better yesterday. I reckon there will be more calls for him to be re-signed as the season progresses. Hope I'm right.

Preston (3), Sitili (2) were standouts. And Hayes (1). I don't think Sexton's contribution should be underestimated either. He looked sharper and more confident to me. I think we will singing his praises as the season progresses. Certainly hope so. I had Preston as my captain in the fantasy...

It seemed to me the Preston report decision was made quickly. Did they only look at one angle? I also thought there was a Gutherson high tackle on a Bulldogs try scorer. Was Wilson's I think. I like how Dogs don't milk penalties. Xerri had an opportunity as well to milk an obvious penalty but...

Even when the dragons took the lead after their first try in 16th minute, I had seen enough to know the Dogs would win. We were much sharper and better organised. Still plenty to work on. I like how Ciraldo is changing the modern game, with players like Tupouniua (101 kg/1.86m), Hayes (102...

Was there an 18 named? Because now the bench starts at 19 with Taafe. If so, who was the original 18?

Wouldn't they put Tupouniua in the centres & Morrin or DSF on the bench first?

Even if Sutton is ever ready he needs to justify NRL selection ahead of Todd, Amone, Hayes, Morrin, DSF, maybe even Underhill. Can't see it happening. You'd have to think the plan is to get him fit and then offer him to any club who will take him for a swap and/or to pay some of his salary. Or...

Looking at that bench, it's pretty obvious Gus should have signed more utilities.

It looks like Ciraldo's plan is the same as last season. Just tough out games and with a bit of luck scrape a win. It was three tries each with 10 minutes to go on Saturday. Bulldogs were still in it. Broncos only skipped away in the last 10 because they had so many more fresh subs. The Saint...

It just looks like 2026 will be a repeat of last year to me. Defend brilliantly against sides with bigger packs until round 24 when fatigue sets in and Mann cracks under the pressure of holding the team together for 23 rounds. Round 24 when we play Roosters, followed by Storm, Panthers and...

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, but for anyone else just waking up with a hangover and not wanting to go through 100 pages of thread, was Crichton injured?

Had to laugh though when I realised about 5 minutes into the game I had been kidding myself Montoya was going to be a much improved player. Good on him for coming back, he's a really nice guy, and I assume on a minimum contract, but the reality is he is only there so we don't have to put a young...

Yes we do, Preston! Although he will probably be in trouble for not following the 'structure'. Will have to wrestle everybody at training.

Exactly. How come our best player is a 34 year old or whatever he is 'journeyman' lock forward? The Ciraldo obsession with complex defensive patterns look great when opposition sides are being contained on their own lines. But top 4 sides also score points. Is it time to sack Ciraldo? (just...

Today was mainly about getting the defense right. Having said that there is not much today that Sexton did that Flanagan wouldn't be capable of. I'm sure Sexton will improve week b y week, like he did last year. O'Neill is not ready. I'm much more concerned about Burton and his complete...

It would be easy to make excuses for Burton and Tracey along the lines its only pre-season, they're a bit rusty, if it weren't for the fact Preston and Mann showed it doesn't matter if it is a trial or the GF. You just have to roll your sleeves up and concentrate on the game being played no...

Have a look at the Brisbane forward pack & bench, plus more reserves. Obviously the decision was made not to fly so many players up. But then why mainly send reserve backs? It will be in the high 20s on Saturday. It looks like Ciraldo wants to really test his key forwards. That's well and good...