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Bulldogs went on a BIG spending spree. One ‘key’ omission can stop them becoming ‘real contenders’
The Bulldogs are desperate to turn their fortunes around in 2022 and have been splashing cash determined to make it happen.
But have they spent it wisely?
The Bulldogs opened the cheque book in a bid to overhaul a roster that claimed 15th last year and the wooden spoon this year.
Stars Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr, Paul Vaughan and Brent Naden have all headline the recruitment class.
Where they haven’t spent, however, is on arguably the most important positions. The spine.
But former Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis doesn’t believe that will stop the club from breaking a finals drought - which dates back to 2016 - next year.
Here foxsports.com.au breaks down the Bulldogs’ roster for 2022 and the players who must deliver.
IS THE SPINE BENT OUT OF SHAPE?
Amid all the star signings in the past two years, which also includes prop Luke Thompson and centre Nick Cotric, somebody forgot to tell the Bulldogs they need a little something to play finals: a strong spine.
Instead of investing heavily in a top shelf fullback, half or No.9, the Bulldogs’ highest-paid players next season will be a winger, centre, lock, second-rower and a prop.
That quintet includes Addo-Carr, Pangai Jr, Thompson, Cotric and Josh Jackson - none of which play in the spine.
A quality, experienced spine plays a pivotal role in any winning team. At least one spine player, and often multiple, from the Dally M Team of the Year has featured in the grand final since 2015.
Trent Barret won’t have any.
Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett. Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
The Bulldogs will likely start 2022 with Dragons discard Matt Dufty at fullback, Jeremy Marshall-King at hooker and 21-year-old Matt Burton at five-eighth.
Youngster Jake Alverillo and Kyle Flanagan, who is so far a failed experiment at halfback, will fight for the No. 7 jersey.
The round one spine will have less than 240 NRL appearances combined and only take up around 15 percent of the Bulldogs salary cap.
By comparison the Panthers, Rabbitohs and Storm - who all build their sides around the spine - spend closer to 30 percent of their cap on those positions.
Ennis, who started at hooker for the Bulldogs in the 2012 grand final, admits plenty of next season will come down to how much they get out of Marshall-King.
“That’s the challenge for them, Marshall-King really needs to stand up at dummy half,” Ennis told foxsports.com.au.
“If you look at the two sides that made the grand final, two of the best dummy halves in the comp in (Damien) Cook and (Api) Koroisau. Harry Grant and Brandon Smith got to the preliminary final (with Melbourne) and you saw with Parramatta when they lost Reed Mahoney just how much they missed him.
“I just think the key with the Dogs, and I saw it this week when they spoke about Reed Mahoney, very rarely have we seen the Dogs talk about going after a dummy half recently.
“I might sound biased being a former dummy half but it’s an area that I think would just completely change the dynamics of that team.
“So Marshall-King needs to have a big season or if they can bring a Reed Mahoney or a Brandon Smith or someone to the club, then the Dogs will all of a sudden become real contenders.”
Matt Dufty has signed from the Dragons. Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Ennis believes Dufty can also stop the Bulldogs relying too heavily on the highly-rated Burton.
“Dufty is a very creative fullback, his numbers were very good in terms of creativity at the Dragons,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s really powerful when you get guys that come from other clubs that are desperate to prove themselves right and at the same time prove some people wrong, and Dufty is certainly in that category.
“You look at the competition at the moment and the sides that have got the ability to have creativity in their fullbacks, it’s a huge bonus and I think Dufty will take a lot of pressure off their spine.”
IS BURTON THE SAVIOUR?
Burton is the most exciting Bulldogs prospect in recent years and will start in the No.6 jersey, fresh off winning a premiership with the Panthers.
But it’s one thing to look good in a premiership side and quite another to lead a club off the bottom of the table.
If Burton struggles without enough talent around him over the next two years, it might give him pause to trigger the contract option in his favour in 2024.
But Ennis believes the talented playmaker has what it takes to turn the club around.
“Matt Burton is a massive inclusion,” he said.
“Flanagan’s that more controlling halfback, you know, but if Barrett can let Matt Burton do what Matt Burton does really well, and I think Trent will because he’s very similar to the way he used to play - he’s a great runner of the footy.
“That’s why we saw him star in the centres (for Penrith) this year because he’s just got such a great running game and I think if he can bring that to the Dogs.
“There was always going to be pressure on Matt Burton coming in because you know for 12 months they’ve been waiting for him to arrive and they’ve lacked creativity, the Dogs, for a long time.
“Kieran Foran had glimpses, he just wasn’t on the park enough, but they’ve really struggled to have creativity there really since (Josh) Reynolds and (Trent) Hodkinson took them to that grand final in 2014 and they had some good moments through 2015.
“But there’s been a number of years where they’ve lacked real quality and creativity in their halves and Matt Burton brings that, Dufty brings that.
“But all eyes will be on Matty Burton that’s for sure because he’s the one that can take them to the finals.”
THE GUS BLUEPRINT
If there’s one man who’ll back himself to turn things around it’s Phil Gould, who the Bulldogs appointed as their general manager earlier this year.
Details of Gould’s contract remain unclear but the deal is reportedly loaded with triggers that could see him at the club for six years or longer.
It means he’ll be given the time and space to turn around the club he played for and coached in the 1980s.
“It’s really important you know who you are as a club and Gus knows the Bulldogs,” Ennis said.
“He was part of their legacy and success back in the ‘80s and I think that’s really important, particularly when you’re trying to rebuild and the Dogs are trying to do that.
“In their recruitment they’re really starting to make some inroads, they obviously had some salary cap restraints there going back a couple of seasons ago but they seem to be coming out the other side of that now.
“You look at what Gus was able to do at Penrith … he knows the right people to put in and the ingredients to bring.”
The Bulldogs are desperate to turn their fortunes around in 2022 and have been splashing cash determined to make it happen.
But have they spent it wisely?
The Bulldogs opened the cheque book in a bid to overhaul a roster that claimed 15th last year and the wooden spoon this year.
Stars Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr, Paul Vaughan and Brent Naden have all headline the recruitment class.
Where they haven’t spent, however, is on arguably the most important positions. The spine.
But former Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis doesn’t believe that will stop the club from breaking a finals drought - which dates back to 2016 - next year.
Here foxsports.com.au breaks down the Bulldogs’ roster for 2022 and the players who must deliver.
IS THE SPINE BENT OUT OF SHAPE?
Amid all the star signings in the past two years, which also includes prop Luke Thompson and centre Nick Cotric, somebody forgot to tell the Bulldogs they need a little something to play finals: a strong spine.
Instead of investing heavily in a top shelf fullback, half or No.9, the Bulldogs’ highest-paid players next season will be a winger, centre, lock, second-rower and a prop.
That quintet includes Addo-Carr, Pangai Jr, Thompson, Cotric and Josh Jackson - none of which play in the spine.
A quality, experienced spine plays a pivotal role in any winning team. At least one spine player, and often multiple, from the Dally M Team of the Year has featured in the grand final since 2015.
Trent Barret won’t have any.
The Bulldogs will likely start 2022 with Dragons discard Matt Dufty at fullback, Jeremy Marshall-King at hooker and 21-year-old Matt Burton at five-eighth.
Youngster Jake Alverillo and Kyle Flanagan, who is so far a failed experiment at halfback, will fight for the No. 7 jersey.
The round one spine will have less than 240 NRL appearances combined and only take up around 15 percent of the Bulldogs salary cap.
By comparison the Panthers, Rabbitohs and Storm - who all build their sides around the spine - spend closer to 30 percent of their cap on those positions.
Ennis, who started at hooker for the Bulldogs in the 2012 grand final, admits plenty of next season will come down to how much they get out of Marshall-King.
“That’s the challenge for them, Marshall-King really needs to stand up at dummy half,” Ennis told foxsports.com.au.
“If you look at the two sides that made the grand final, two of the best dummy halves in the comp in (Damien) Cook and (Api) Koroisau. Harry Grant and Brandon Smith got to the preliminary final (with Melbourne) and you saw with Parramatta when they lost Reed Mahoney just how much they missed him.
“I just think the key with the Dogs, and I saw it this week when they spoke about Reed Mahoney, very rarely have we seen the Dogs talk about going after a dummy half recently.
“I might sound biased being a former dummy half but it’s an area that I think would just completely change the dynamics of that team.
“So Marshall-King needs to have a big season or if they can bring a Reed Mahoney or a Brandon Smith or someone to the club, then the Dogs will all of a sudden become real contenders.”
Matt Dufty has signed from the Dragons. Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Ennis believes Dufty can also stop the Bulldogs relying too heavily on the highly-rated Burton.
“Dufty is a very creative fullback, his numbers were very good in terms of creativity at the Dragons,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s really powerful when you get guys that come from other clubs that are desperate to prove themselves right and at the same time prove some people wrong, and Dufty is certainly in that category.
“You look at the competition at the moment and the sides that have got the ability to have creativity in their fullbacks, it’s a huge bonus and I think Dufty will take a lot of pressure off their spine.”
IS BURTON THE SAVIOUR?
Burton is the most exciting Bulldogs prospect in recent years and will start in the No.6 jersey, fresh off winning a premiership with the Panthers.
But it’s one thing to look good in a premiership side and quite another to lead a club off the bottom of the table.
If Burton struggles without enough talent around him over the next two years, it might give him pause to trigger the contract option in his favour in 2024.
But Ennis believes the talented playmaker has what it takes to turn the club around.
“Matt Burton is a massive inclusion,” he said.
“Flanagan’s that more controlling halfback, you know, but if Barrett can let Matt Burton do what Matt Burton does really well, and I think Trent will because he’s very similar to the way he used to play - he’s a great runner of the footy.
“That’s why we saw him star in the centres (for Penrith) this year because he’s just got such a great running game and I think if he can bring that to the Dogs.
“There was always going to be pressure on Matt Burton coming in because you know for 12 months they’ve been waiting for him to arrive and they’ve lacked creativity, the Dogs, for a long time.
“Kieran Foran had glimpses, he just wasn’t on the park enough, but they’ve really struggled to have creativity there really since (Josh) Reynolds and (Trent) Hodkinson took them to that grand final in 2014 and they had some good moments through 2015.
“But there’s been a number of years where they’ve lacked real quality and creativity in their halves and Matt Burton brings that, Dufty brings that.
“But all eyes will be on Matty Burton that’s for sure because he’s the one that can take them to the finals.”
THE GUS BLUEPRINT
If there’s one man who’ll back himself to turn things around it’s Phil Gould, who the Bulldogs appointed as their general manager earlier this year.
Details of Gould’s contract remain unclear but the deal is reportedly loaded with triggers that could see him at the club for six years or longer.
It means he’ll be given the time and space to turn around the club he played for and coached in the 1980s.
“It’s really important you know who you are as a club and Gus knows the Bulldogs,” Ennis said.
“He was part of their legacy and success back in the ‘80s and I think that’s really important, particularly when you’re trying to rebuild and the Dogs are trying to do that.
“In their recruitment they’re really starting to make some inroads, they obviously had some salary cap restraints there going back a couple of seasons ago but they seem to be coming out the other side of that now.
“You look at what Gus was able to do at Penrith … he knows the right people to put in and the ingredients to bring.”
