News By Stuart Thomas / Expert(Roar) -Based on Kikau’s feeble first-up performance, fans concerned Bulldogs have dug up another T-Rex

[Taylforth]

Alot of the players who went deep into the world cup have come up really dusty. I feel like there was some serious parting after the WC. Considering how professional players are now probably not used to benders anymore and has really set back their preparation. In particular Burton and fox look well off the pace, then there is whatever happened to Angus Crichton. Maybe our lads were in the group that got well and truely fcuked up after the WC.

Yeh I always recall Willie Mason back in the day, likening a UK / kangaroo tour to being like a Kon Tiki tour….relaxed, a bit of a laugh, party time and low intensity. That may of course tell you more about Mason’s attitude as a player, than our Kangaroo squad culture. However I’m sure there is a general hint of truth in his summation. Too much outside the club environment partying, as the WC boys are off the leash. This may be now biting them in the arse in March, while they try to reset. Hopefully better to come….

 

[Disposable Hero]

Much has been made of the spending spree undertaken by the Bulldogs, in a Phil Gould-driven effort to rebuild and reverse what has been an extended period of mediocrity.

The new-look Bulldogs collective took on Manly and were beaten comprehensively on Saturday and while there were positive signs, especially in the form of Reed Mahoney, it was the effort of one of the club’s most notable signings that should draw most attention.

At a reported $800,000 per season and with the belief of both new head coach Cameron Ciraldo and Gould lying at the very core of the acquisition, Viliame Kikau arrived at the Dogs as a man supposedly capable of putting fear into defences and successfully combining with Matt Burton in a refreshed left-side attack.

Well, that was what so many fans of the blue and white had been told. Personally, I had always felt Kikau had benefited from the hard and grafting work of Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin and the other Penrith forwards prepared to roll up their sleeves and lay the groundwork for success.

Subsequently, Kikau would loiter on the left edge and crash over or through defensive lines with much smaller men exposed on the edge of the ruck. Frankly, Kikau seemed to be the beneficiary of a very polished and efficient attack at the Panthers and was rarely if ever the guy forging the metres that led to dominance.

Perhaps those responsible for luring Kikau to the Bulldogs and the player himself, had fallen to the hype.

Based on the weak and listless numbers he produced in the opening round of the season, fans of a club widely tipped to improve markedly in 2023 would be well within their rights to expect a whole lot more from the 27-year-old.

Statistically, the Dogs were outplayed on the day, with Daly Cherry-Evans producing one his best performances on home soil. The Manly half was sensational from go to whoa and despite the Bulldogs’ best efforts, the match was in Manly’s control once Kyle Flanagan was ridiculously sent to the sin-bin late in the first half.

All the while, Kikau missed tackles, ran rather sheepishly for a player of his supposed worth and tackled less often that other men more desperate and committed.

Come the final siren, Kikau had carted the ball forward for an uninspiring 96 metres from 10 pedestrian runs – one of which was a kick return- broken a grand total of zero tackles and played the ball at the slow average of 4.57 seconds, as a result of the frequent ease with which he was forced back in tackles by the strong Manly defence.

Based on what Kikau produced against the Sea Eagles and his wide yet infrequent damaging running for the Panthers in recent seasons, the Fijian appears to be applying convincingly for the role of an NRL downhill skier.

Canterbury need Kikau to enforce and exert his presence on matches, that is what his salary demands and his opening performance was simply that of a player earning around half of what the new recruit is on.

For Bulldgos fans, memories of the clubs’ worst ever signing, Tony Williams, would have been close at hand. The former Manly star arrived at Belmore with an undeserved reputation and proceeded to produce four seasons of nonsense, while absorbing $600,000 of the salary cap.

It would be difficult to dismiss the fears of Kikau being something similar based on his first NRL effort for the club.

Kikau managed just the one offload, made fewer tackles than any other starting Canterbury forward and clumsily missed six, as a result of his jumper-grabbing technique that is completely unsustainable.

Throw in two errors and two conceded penalties and the Bulldogs board should well consider themselves in deficit after the opening effort from one of the highest paid players at the club.

More alarming than the statistics, was the rather ponderous way in which Kikau applied himself during what should have been an opportunity to make a real statement in his new colours.

There was very little Terry Lamb or Josh Jackson in his effort and a heck of a lot more Tony Williams; something that the Bulldogs did not pay for or, perhaps naively, expect.

Yo DJ can you start putting sources on the essays?

 

[Reecek89]

Kikau is underdone. Short pre-season made even shorter by his dads passing.
most panther/former panther players look underdone.

 

[boggie23]

I mentioned this elsewhere. Kikau is the icing to your cake. He isn’t the fundamental ingredient. He won’t win you a game. He won’t make 50 tackles or run for 200m week in week out. But he will improve something that is good.

Let’s just give it a week or 2 because asides from opposed sessions this is the first full game with kikau Burton alamoti and fox. These players will learn each others game. They will learn when to cut when yo give early ball when to hold it and then things will click.

Look how long it took burton and fox to get their combo happening. Then after that they were instinctive in attack for each other.

 

[Howie B]

Kikau is underdone. Short pre-season made even shorter by his dads passing.
most panther/former panther players look underdone.

And played 80 minutes on a stinking hot day when we had fark all ball.

Defensively I thought he was good. Most of Manly's tries were more ass than class

 

[speedy2460]

Yo DJ can you start putting sources on the essays?

Written by Stuart Thomas (Roar)

 

[the hound]

Kikau was described by Ciraldo, before Ciraldo signed with the Bulldogs, as the best defensive back rower in the game. Burton and Kikau had shockers on Saturday. The rest of the team had some positive touches. I am tipping dogs to bounce back with a win over Melbourne and both of those players to show their class. I tuned in to the reserve grade match and Karl Oloapu should find his way into first grade by round 10, around origin and the young fullback Joash is a real future prospect. Dogs had some terrible luck , coupled with terrible handling and are up against missing 4 front rowers at present. Despite the clunky attack I thought there was a lot more composure and awareness about what they were trying to do and think we will see significant improvement over these opening rounds. It was very deflating to watch the Manly game after a lot of promise, but for the most part i thought the majority of players looked ready and willing but were terribly let down by a Burton/Kikau shocker.

 

[Cappuccino]

Written by Stuart Thomas (Roar)

Junk

 

[John Matrix]

nothing against kiks he had a off game, club needs to pin these articles to the wall and use them as movtivation.

 

[D.O.W.]

One average game and he gets this tripe? He definitely looked gassed, match fitness to improve over time, he’s going to be a good purchase but his halves need to get him in the game, our 6 and 7 are useless.

 

[GreenTurd]

Dolphins didn’t need time to gel, they came out firing like every team should. Kikau is an elite player like others in our squad they should be playing to high standard EVERY week. It was a piss poor effort from pretty much the whole team.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Said it when we signed Kikau that if Burton doesn't improve his playmaking then Kikau is going to cop an absolute pasting from our fans. Kikau is a lot of things but one thing he isn't is that purely destructive running forward he used to a few years ago that you could just throw the ball too and watch him consistently skittle defenders. There are so many ways you can use Kikau and if Burton can't work that out quick smart then that just highlights how incredibly poor he is as a playmaker. Kikau was quite poor on an individual level and I'm hoping there is a big bounce back this week against an under strength Storm side.

 

[1967]

Said it when we signed Kikau that if Burton doesn't improve his playmaking then Kikau is going to cop an absolute pasting from our fans. Kikau is a lot of things but one thing he isn't is that purely destructive running forward he used to a few years ago that you could just throw the ball too and watch him consistently skittle defenders. There are so many ways you can use Kikau and if Burton can't work that out quick smart then that just highlights how incredibly poor he is as a playmaker. Kikau was quite poor on an individual level and I'm hoping there is a big bounce back this week against an under strength Storm side.

Where’s all the fans who were saying Burton would take Luai’s #6 position in Origin this year ?

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Where’s all the fans who were saying Burton would take Luai’s #6 position in Origin this year ?

Dunno but I'm sure they'll pop up soon when Burton has a good game (hopefully this week) lol

 

[Dingo]

Middle forwards too easy to contain. Opposition defence easily shifting to the edge because there is no threat in the middle.

 

[Dognacious]

After 1 match we are worried that hes another trex? Sounds reasonable.

 

[liljohny]

Wow so even journo's are expecting us to gel after 1 game

Why not. Dolphins did

 

[ShepardDog]

This is funny because at Penrith he had the occasional off day too but it was just ushered as Penrith still got the Win that day as their other big players stood up.

 

[flamebouyant]

Kikau is a gun and consistent as fuck. Sunday was just an off day for him..you could see how disappointed he was

So true. He had a poor game, yet still managed almost 100m. Really needs to lift though!

 

[dogwhisperer]

I refuse to read this trash, anyone thought it was going to be smooth sailing is kidding himself...
But I am still going to point out the reasons some people are ignoring
1 Our 2 marquee props are out injured.
2 Mahoney had a blinder but this was as far as our attack had reached and for the next reasons.
3 Flanagan was ordinary as usual failing to control or make any good decision, leading to
4 Burton had a shocker trying to play a game he isn't ready to play, organising.
5 Kikau senses the added responsibilities tries to do things he isn't accustomed to.
In reality it became a terrible chain reaction !
Not helped by the unfair sin bin that allowed Womanly to score 12 points against 12 man team,...
We will never know how the game would have ended if there was no sin bin.

If there was no sin bin Manly would have probably won 13-6 or some shit like that. And if there was no sin bin and we didn't kick out on the full 4 times then the score would have probably been 7-6 to Manly. If there was no sin bin, no kicking out on the full and Burton wasn't playing we win 6-0.
That's how I saw it, weren't scoring more than 1 try.