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✍ writer-Mark Molyneux
The sporting news
Canterbury’s belief that a new era had finally dawned, and they were on the precipice of putting an end to six years without playing finals footy trickled away rather rapidly this season.
The renewed sense of hope emanating around Belmore, which fed off the back of a recruitment drive that fashioned both Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney, didn’t last all that long with Cameron Ciraldo enduring a tough first campaign in the hot seat.
Can Cameron Ciraldo and Phil Gould rebuild the Bulldogs into premiership contenders?
Under the leadership of the former Penrith assistant coach, it was hoped things were going to be different for the Bulldogs after a galling spell under the watch of Trent Barrett reached its inevitable conclusion midway through 2022.
Mick Potter took the reins temporarily last season and with the shackles removed and all sense of expectations parked for another year, the Bulldogs showed some attacking verve through the double act of Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr.
However, this only served to add more weight onto the shoulders of Ciraldo to pick up from where Potter left off as dreams of climbing up out of the mire at the bottom of the ladder coursed through the Dogs during the beginning of the campaign.
Setbacks were always to be expected and Ciraldo and co have certainly experienced a bumpy ride during their journey out of the past which has been burdened with far too many disappointments to list.
But with their season now turning onto the final straight, the question remains around how far the Bulldogs have actually managed to travel on the long road back from oblivion.
"It will take a bit of time," Jacob Kiraz said when appearing on the latest episode of The Sporting News/YKTR's EBBS AND FLOWS.
"I know obviously fans – they’re passionate and it’s been a while now and they’re probably hearing the same stuff every year.
"I think that it’s gonna take time and we know as players where we want to go.
"I have faith 100 per cent that we will be better. But it’s a matter of time."
Although it is easy to make an argument the Dogs have been a sleeping giant in the NRL for so long now, fans could be forgiven for believing the club may never wake from its slumber.
"It’s on the right track," Jake Averillo insisted.
The 22-year-old Canterbury junior, who will depart at season’s end in search of his own fresh start, cited how the arrival of Ciraldo was key to the club’s future revival.
"From what Ciro has done in this first year, from where it was to where it is now, it’s pretty crazy," he said.
"Not many people see it and obviously the scoreboards aren’t telling that story, but I reckon in a couple more years with Ciro there, we’ll be playing finals.
When he got to Penrith, they were in a similar thing and now they’ve won a couple of premierships."
The rookie coach was given control of Canterbury by the club’s General Manager of Football Phil Gould, who handed Ciraldo an unprecedented five-year contract in the hope he could rebuild the Dogs.
"Right now, you’ve got Gus who has been in for a year, and we’ve got the new coach," Kiraz stated.
"The system he’s brought over, he makes everything clear and he gives us players a lot of confidence," Averillo added.
"He’s a real good defensive coach and you know the systems work because they come from Penrith."
The Panthers blueprint is encased within every nut and bolt which has been used to construct the Bulldogs over the last year or two.
Gould is often credited as being the architect of Penrith’s famed junior nursery before promising similar results for the Dogs. He has also poached a number of major players responsible for the sustained success of the men from the foot of the mountains along the way.
However, the two backline stars for the Bulldogs believe there is a common misconception about Gould’s input on the team’s structures out on the training paddock.
"I think everyone thinks he comes and trains us and stuff," Kiraz laughed.
"If he does speak, it’s more of a motivation thing to try and fire us up."
"He doesn’t really say too much and if he needs to, he’ll just jump in to give some motivation and he’s really good at that - getting the boys pumped up," Averillo concurred.
The side has needed plenty of firing up throughout a campaign which has seen them suffer a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season which included the low point of their year when they were thrashed 66-0 by the Knights.
"It’s sort of that aura kind of thing - when he walks in a room, the boys are a bit on edge, especially during video," Averillo said.
Earlier in the season, Kiraz revealed the coaching staff had drilled a narrative into the playing group during pre-season which was centred around time.
"They have worked hard to show us that no matter how long is left, there's still time to win the game," the Lebanese international said.
This season, the Bulldogs have run out of it in the scope of having a successful season like they had initially envisioned.
Yet all is not lost as the Dogs enter into their final month of matches with a big part to play in how the finals shape up and how their story will continue to be written.
They have had to contend with an unprecedented injury list that has conspired against them. Along with recruitment issues from the past which left their roster in a state of disrepair, while the growing pains of a new regime were harshly exposed under the bright lights of the competition.
The Bulldogs must settle for playing the role of spoiler for the likes of Newcastle and Manly who are further along in their development than Canterbury are. But they'll do so in the hope the roles will soon be reversed in the years to come.
"We’ll look back at these days and we’ll probably laugh about it," Kiraz smiled.
The sporting news
Canterbury’s belief that a new era had finally dawned, and they were on the precipice of putting an end to six years without playing finals footy trickled away rather rapidly this season.
The renewed sense of hope emanating around Belmore, which fed off the back of a recruitment drive that fashioned both Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney, didn’t last all that long with Cameron Ciraldo enduring a tough first campaign in the hot seat.
Can Cameron Ciraldo and Phil Gould rebuild the Bulldogs into premiership contenders?
Under the leadership of the former Penrith assistant coach, it was hoped things were going to be different for the Bulldogs after a galling spell under the watch of Trent Barrett reached its inevitable conclusion midway through 2022.
Mick Potter took the reins temporarily last season and with the shackles removed and all sense of expectations parked for another year, the Bulldogs showed some attacking verve through the double act of Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr.
However, this only served to add more weight onto the shoulders of Ciraldo to pick up from where Potter left off as dreams of climbing up out of the mire at the bottom of the ladder coursed through the Dogs during the beginning of the campaign.
Setbacks were always to be expected and Ciraldo and co have certainly experienced a bumpy ride during their journey out of the past which has been burdened with far too many disappointments to list.
But with their season now turning onto the final straight, the question remains around how far the Bulldogs have actually managed to travel on the long road back from oblivion.
"It will take a bit of time," Jacob Kiraz said when appearing on the latest episode of The Sporting News/YKTR's EBBS AND FLOWS.
"I know obviously fans – they’re passionate and it’s been a while now and they’re probably hearing the same stuff every year.
"I think that it’s gonna take time and we know as players where we want to go.
"I have faith 100 per cent that we will be better. But it’s a matter of time."
Although it is easy to make an argument the Dogs have been a sleeping giant in the NRL for so long now, fans could be forgiven for believing the club may never wake from its slumber.
"It’s on the right track," Jake Averillo insisted.
The 22-year-old Canterbury junior, who will depart at season’s end in search of his own fresh start, cited how the arrival of Ciraldo was key to the club’s future revival.
"From what Ciro has done in this first year, from where it was to where it is now, it’s pretty crazy," he said.
"Not many people see it and obviously the scoreboards aren’t telling that story, but I reckon in a couple more years with Ciro there, we’ll be playing finals.
When he got to Penrith, they were in a similar thing and now they’ve won a couple of premierships."
The rookie coach was given control of Canterbury by the club’s General Manager of Football Phil Gould, who handed Ciraldo an unprecedented five-year contract in the hope he could rebuild the Dogs.
"Right now, you’ve got Gus who has been in for a year, and we’ve got the new coach," Kiraz stated.
"The system he’s brought over, he makes everything clear and he gives us players a lot of confidence," Averillo added.
"He’s a real good defensive coach and you know the systems work because they come from Penrith."
The Panthers blueprint is encased within every nut and bolt which has been used to construct the Bulldogs over the last year or two.
Gould is often credited as being the architect of Penrith’s famed junior nursery before promising similar results for the Dogs. He has also poached a number of major players responsible for the sustained success of the men from the foot of the mountains along the way.
However, the two backline stars for the Bulldogs believe there is a common misconception about Gould’s input on the team’s structures out on the training paddock.
"I think everyone thinks he comes and trains us and stuff," Kiraz laughed.
"If he does speak, it’s more of a motivation thing to try and fire us up."
"He doesn’t really say too much and if he needs to, he’ll just jump in to give some motivation and he’s really good at that - getting the boys pumped up," Averillo concurred.
The side has needed plenty of firing up throughout a campaign which has seen them suffer a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season which included the low point of their year when they were thrashed 66-0 by the Knights.
"It’s sort of that aura kind of thing - when he walks in a room, the boys are a bit on edge, especially during video," Averillo said.
Earlier in the season, Kiraz revealed the coaching staff had drilled a narrative into the playing group during pre-season which was centred around time.
"They have worked hard to show us that no matter how long is left, there's still time to win the game," the Lebanese international said.
This season, the Bulldogs have run out of it in the scope of having a successful season like they had initially envisioned.
Yet all is not lost as the Dogs enter into their final month of matches with a big part to play in how the finals shape up and how their story will continue to be written.
They have had to contend with an unprecedented injury list that has conspired against them. Along with recruitment issues from the past which left their roster in a state of disrepair, while the growing pains of a new regime were harshly exposed under the bright lights of the competition.
The Bulldogs must settle for playing the role of spoiler for the likes of Newcastle and Manly who are further along in their development than Canterbury are. But they'll do so in the hope the roles will soon be reversed in the years to come.
"We’ll look back at these days and we’ll probably laugh about it," Kiraz smiled.
