Could it be that other teams are rushing up on Crichton forcing Hutch to dummy instead and step back in?
He does it often even though he is not fast or strong. They have to rethink getting the ball out faster and having Crichton deeper or something because our attack on the right is not firing and we have great strike power there.
This is a big part.
Most clubs are adapting to what's trending, creating success. Some clubs (not many) although not the frontrunners to outright success are countering this or sticking to other styles of play. Bulldogs for a while have been one of the mass of clubs trying to get with the trend. The rushing up on edges should and can be exposed, I know we don't want to rely on forwards but they're capable of hitting and offloading, creating more space in and around rucks, then eventually use the edges.
Bulldogs really need to adapt to what works for them and how to counter certain situations. This isn't a 2year thing nor overnight but some simple improvements would do wonders. I'll leave that for the pros but offloads and support runners rather than a block play would be as effective and less margin for error and less tiring for all involved. As long as there's direction, this is where the captain or one of the halves or hooker really has to manage or call. On field trainer too, passing on any word.
Also we should be taking opportunities to kick penalty goals, reset and build sets again. Even when scoreboard pressure is looking tight. I know there has to be a degree of arrogance and confidence but if we really want to play smarter, then taking the two is going to help the overall game that Bulldogs are trying to play.