Canterbury Bulldogs 2017 Season Preview

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The Dogfather

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2016 position: 7th
Predicted 2017 position: 8th
Key Player: Moses Mbye
2017 Head coach: Des Hasler

What a season 2016 was for the boys from Belmore. A year of drama which has had it all. Board members resigning, staff being shown the door, head coach put on notice and a 7th place finish to end an underwhelming season.

With the Bulldogs faithful questioning where the magic has gone, it is clear that with a 12 year premiership drought the fans are hungry for success. The 2016 season saw the club struggle to build any sort of pressure and grind out the tough games. They scored fewer points than any of the teams in the top 8 and only managed to force 29 repeat sets. The season finished with 14 wins and 10 losses as the club only managed to score 91 tries whilst conceding 78.

Inconsistency was the story of the 2016 season. Long gone are the days of the 'Dogs Of War'. In their place are a Bulldogs side merely making up the numbers following their elimination final loss to Penrith. Boasting one of the most lethal forward packs in the game, there was no reason why the Bulldogs could not have been real premiership contenders.

As the preparations for the 2017 season have begun, the Bulldogs faithful have every right to fear what is yet to come. Premiership winning coach Des Hasler seems to have lost his punch with the dogs lacking spark in attack. The 1-6-7-9 combination failed to guide the club to a top four finish. With Josh Reynolds, Michael Lichaa and Will Hopoate all coming off contract at the end of 2017, there is a big question mark over who will lead the club into the future. Having signed playmaker Josh Cleeland from Cronulla and young dummy half Zac Woolford from Canberra, the pressure is building on the current Bulldogs spine which has failed to provide the same clinical control shown by the more experienced playmakers in the NRL.

It is relatively unknown what lies ahead in 2017 but one thing is for certain, the boys from Belmore are set for another long year. Everyone is under pressure to perform with Moses Mbye emerging as a key player next season. His ability to lead the team around the park will either make or break the Bulldogs' season.

Head coach Des Hasler is in need of results. With his future hanging in the balance he must somehow guide the club out of their form slump and help them become one of the competition's heavyweight sides. With no big name recruit as of yet and a disappointing season in 2016, the Bulldogs are looking at an 8th place finish in 2017.


2017 Gains: Tom Carr (St George Illawarra Dragons), Josh Cleeland (Cronulla Sharks), Richard Kennar (Melbourne Storm), Brenko Lee (Canberra Raiders), Rhyse Martin (Townsville Blackhawks), Francis Tualau (Melbourne Storm), Zac Woolford (Canberra Raiders)

2017 Losses: Tim Browne (Penrith Panthers), Dane Chisholm (Bradford Bulls), Graham Clark (released), Shaun Lane (Manly Sea Eagles), Lamar Liolevave (released), Makahesi Makatoa (Canberra Raiders), Lyndon McGrady (released), Jarrod McInally (QLD Cup), Pat O'Hanlon (retired), Sam Perrett (retired), Curtis Rona (Rugby Union), Tony Williams (Cronulla Sharks)
 
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CrittaMagic69

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Gotenks' Canterbury Bulldogs 2017 Season Preview.

- ***** fucked.
 

KiwiDog7

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Make or break not brake....though both words probably applicable lol
 

GrogDog

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Can't really see how they could predict us even in 8th when you stack up the rest of the competition. Think that has been made on previous reputations....ones long gone from this side, coach and club. I think 10th would be a more accurate prediction. I am not expecting much next year and for the first time, not even looking forward to next season. I just can't see where any form of improvement can come from?
 

speedy2460

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Looking at the gains and losses seriously, the losses clearly outweigh the gains. Cleeland and Woolford may be the exceptions. Doesnt look as being any improvement. And we still have the same negative coach.
Gonna be a tough year.
 

blueyedsamurai

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8th is a stretch, I cant see us making the finals unless there has been some major shake ups and we have some changes to our style. Lichaa and Mbye will need to be able to play their natural game as well for us to be any threat.

Tolman and Graham also need to get the fuck out of the way.
 

CrittaMagic69

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8th is a stretch, I cant see us making the finals unless there has been some major shake ups and we have some changes to our style. Lichaa and Mbye will need to be able to play their natural game as well for us to be any threat.

Tolman and Graham also need to get the fuck out of the way.
Everything is on Des this season. Dickhead has made a massive mess with his bs recruitment/retention and structures he has set in place. Conditioning and structure are the 2 things that need to change for us to make any sort of improvement. Would also help if the **** knew how to use a bench.
 

no1bulldog

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Lamar Liolevave....,was he the one who came over mid season from the tigers and was going alright?
 

Haddaway

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8th is a stretch, I cant see us making the finals unless there has been some major shake ups and we have some changes to our style. Lichaa and Mbye will need to be able to play their natural game as well for us to be any threat.

Tolman and Graham also need to get the fuck out of the way.
Im over Hasler but his teams dont miss finals. Do I just want to make the eight? NO. It all depends on will we be a force or not. Its just like last year when people said we would be fighting for the spoon, reality is we will be in the 8 again.
 

blueyedsamurai

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Im over Hasler but his teams dont miss finals. Do I just want to make the eight? NO. It all depends on will we be a force or not. Its just like last year when people said we would be fighting for the spoon, reality is we will be in the 8 again.
I think it will depend on how other teams perform. Parra getting done for the cap and the warriors losing RTS and choking like usual helped us out last year, Roosters,Souths and Titans will also be stronger next year.

I think we'll finished above Knights,Dragons,Tigers and Manly, thats all I'm confident about at the moment.
 

Haddaway

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I think it will depend on how other teams perform. Parra getting done for the cap and the warriors losing RTS and choking like usual helped us out last year, Roosters,Souths and Titans will also be stronger next year.

I think we'll finished above Knights,Dragons,Tigers and Manly, thats all I'm confident about at the moment.
The minute we signed Hasler I was confident we would make the finals every year, and we have. It wont be any different next year. But, apart from the first few years I was not confident of being a contender, the same goes for next year.

The two times I had doubts was 2013 and 14. 2013 suspensions and Barba fucked our season, and his brothers death and we still made it. 2014 we had Perret, Brown and Thompson as a back three and still made it to the the GF. We will make it again, but I dont want to just be there I want us to shake it up.
 
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GrogDog

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Think it is quite clear that whoever is in charge of the Contracts has blown our Salary Cap and we are in a mess. It is the only rational reason why we haven't signed any FG quality players when we clearly need it. Our team certainly does not reflect the full Cap in quality compared to over half the competition. We have been mis-handled and that person should go immediately....to be in a position to not be able to sign players is unforgivable IMO!
 

GoTheDoggies

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DES NEEDS TO UNLEASH THE ATTACK.

It would be an over achievement to finish in the top 4 with this spine.
 

KiwiDog7

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To think we were in the 4 this season sittinh pretty,before sensationally fkin up the last 4 weeks.
 

TalDog

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8th is a stretch, I cant see us making the finals unless there has been some major shake ups and we have some changes to our style. Lichaa and Mbye will need to be able to play their natural game as well for us to be any threat.

Tolman and Graham also need to get the fuck out of the way.
Sack tolman and lichaa
 
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TalDog

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Think it is quite clear that whoever is in charge of the Contracts has blown our Salary Cap and we are in a mess. It is the only rational reason why we haven't signed any FG quality players when we clearly need it. Our team certainly does not reflect the full Cap in quality compared to over half the competition. We have been mis-handled and that person should go immediately....to be in a position to not be able to sign players is unforgivable IMO!
I don't think our cap has blown because is not signing anyone is not unique to this season we haven't signed anyone decent let a alone a superstar under des
 
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