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A Des Hasler coached team hasn’t missed a finals series since 2004
A DES Hasler-coached team hasn’t missed the finals since 2004 — so write off the Bulldogs at your own peril.
That is the warning from two of Canterbury’s most senior players heading into Friday night’s blockbuster against Hasler’s old club Manly.
While the big-spending Sea Eagles have been all the rage over summer, most believe the interchange reduction from 10 to eight will have a negative impact on the Bulldogs, who have the NRL’s biggest pack.
In fact, not one of the five former NRL players polled in The Daily Telegraph’s tipping panel have listed Hasler’s team in their top eight.
Matty Johns, Ben Ikin, Gorden Tallis, Mark Gasnier and Bryan Fletcher have all abandoned the Bulldogs.
Johns reckons a big question mark hangs over the halves combination of Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye following Trent Hodkinson’s departure.
“The reduction in interchange will be a challenge for the big Bulldogs pack as well,’’ Johns said.
It is a “challenge” the Bulldogs’ Josh Morris is adamant Hasler has them ready to face.
“I feel like we are the fittest we have been,” Morris said.
Teammate Sam Perrett said Hasler’s strength was not just his work ethic, but his ability to always adapt to change.
“He tells us he wakes up at two in the morning and has these great ideas,” Perrett said.
“The wheels are always spinning, and I suppose that is why he has had the success he has — his love for what he does.”
Perrett said the Bulldogs were disappointed with their seventh-place finish last year but ready to make up for it.
“I am going to back our boys and their drive, their energy and the condition they are in,” Perrett said.
“We are really going to shake up the competition a bit.”
Morris said the forwards all appeared to have lost weight to get ready for the extra workload.
“The blokes that most people have concerns about I don’t have any concerns about,” Morris said. “I am confident of them going into round one.”
Source
A DES Hasler-coached team hasn’t missed the finals since 2004 — so write off the Bulldogs at your own peril.
That is the warning from two of Canterbury’s most senior players heading into Friday night’s blockbuster against Hasler’s old club Manly.
While the big-spending Sea Eagles have been all the rage over summer, most believe the interchange reduction from 10 to eight will have a negative impact on the Bulldogs, who have the NRL’s biggest pack.
In fact, not one of the five former NRL players polled in The Daily Telegraph’s tipping panel have listed Hasler’s team in their top eight.
Matty Johns, Ben Ikin, Gorden Tallis, Mark Gasnier and Bryan Fletcher have all abandoned the Bulldogs.
Johns reckons a big question mark hangs over the halves combination of Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye following Trent Hodkinson’s departure.
“The reduction in interchange will be a challenge for the big Bulldogs pack as well,’’ Johns said.
It is a “challenge” the Bulldogs’ Josh Morris is adamant Hasler has them ready to face.
“I feel like we are the fittest we have been,” Morris said.
Teammate Sam Perrett said Hasler’s strength was not just his work ethic, but his ability to always adapt to change.
“He tells us he wakes up at two in the morning and has these great ideas,” Perrett said.
“The wheels are always spinning, and I suppose that is why he has had the success he has — his love for what he does.”
Perrett said the Bulldogs were disappointed with their seventh-place finish last year but ready to make up for it.
“I am going to back our boys and their drive, their energy and the condition they are in,” Perrett said.
“We are really going to shake up the competition a bit.”
Morris said the forwards all appeared to have lost weight to get ready for the extra workload.
“The blokes that most people have concerns about I don’t have any concerns about,” Morris said. “I am confident of them going into round one.”
Source
