News No more excuses: Why the time has come for the Bulldogs to kick on, starting against the Warriors

[Roger the alien]

We have half a spine... anyteam without a good halfback & fullback will struggle to fire week in week out.. add an average pack...
Best players JAC and Kiks been out.. its an average team on paper doing ok for what they are..

Sad but true

 

[CQDog]

We have half a spine... anyteam without a good halfback & fullback will struggle to fire week in week out.. add an average pack...
Best players JAC and Kiks been out.. its an average team on paper doing ok for what they are..

Our best players in Averillo, Kiraz, King and Jac are playing busted and are being rushed tbh. Kikau wasn’t close to his best before injury at all

 

[D0GMATIC]

Our best players in Averillo, Kiraz, King and Jac are playing busted and are being rushed tbh. Kikau wasn’t close to his best before injury at all

Kikau would still have been grieving for his dad.Whilst injuries are never good, it will give him time to grieve and get his head in the game.

 

[bricktamland]

If we’re gonna score we should target their wings , Montoya and dwz great finishers but not good defenders

 

[Mr Shhh]

TPJ needs to really take on the Warriors pack and stop trying to offload all the time.

 

[Marki]

Offence puts pressure on your defence.Taking the ball up and running at the hooker and half back does not work any longer as they are super fit these days and can complete 40-50 tackles a game without any issues.One up running is only successful when you have bigger men running at smaller men.We have a great mobile pack, yet we choose to run one out in an arm wrestle. The game against the storm was our finest of the season. Moving the ball around and tiring Melbourne's defence, we penetrated well.Where on earth has that game disappeared to. A reliance on Matt Burtons boot for a lottery result is risky as we don't compete for the high ball.In my lousy opinion as a team we should not be waisting valuable tackles and instead search for in every play a weekness in oposition defences.An example would be the Jacob Preston try against the Raiders,where he ran between two defenders that had got their distance wrong.The other example would be what the great Steve Mortimer quoted in an interview."We used to go down the side were their was more of us than them".Forget about decoy runners and start counting more players to less to create openings.I will be traveling to Accor stadium against the Gold Coast Titans next week, God help me.

Well said.
Unfortunately for years now we have lacked players with the footy nous to take advantage of basic number opportunities.

Both in attack and defence we have no clue. Opposition pick us apart easily. It defies logic how we cannot even defend a centre field scrum 20m out with only 3 players both sides of the scrum. We cannot even number up on those.

If it were miss tackles, I could understand, but to end up being short numbered from a centre field scrum is one of the most disgraceful things I've seen in sport

 

[Marki]

Kikau would still have been grieving for his dad.Whilst injuries are never good, it will give him time to grieve and get his head in the game.

I think just about the only good thing about Kikau so far is that when we play them, he is not there to destroy us.

 

[Marki]

If we’re gonna score we should target their wings , Montoya and dwz great finishers but not good defenders

You underestimate Montoya.
I always liked him and was disappointed we let him go.

He has since improved even more and has been one of the better Warriors players.

 

[1967]

TPJ should be averaging at least a try a game, plus a try assist with his size and strength, he’s up in the line to much, he needs to be standing really deep and coming onto the ball like a freight train, he’d carry 3 across the line with him and still score, or off load and the runner beside him would score.

What happened to RFM and the big blokes standing back really deep from the try line and coming at them hard and fast running angles like Willy Mason and Ogre used to do ..

I don’t know what the coaches do during the week but even with players out we still have attacking weapons … if TPJ wants to offload get him to offload under the arm like Parker used to do, not over the shoulder and get plenty of runners and support around him like Broncos do with Haas.

We’re not the biggest pack but we do have speed, I’m not seeing that speed used enough in an old school Terry Lamb support style ..

Players like King, TPJ, Kiraz and a few others do bend the line but there’s very few in support for them to pop the ball to ..

I’ve said it before, the hardest thing to defend against is a moving foot ball.

They’re not going to beat the Warriors getting into a tough arm wrestle, they proved that last time we played them, they’re more powerful then us (I won’t say bigger or someone will measure every player) our blokes need to really move the ball around and tire them out.

 

[Blueandwhiteblood1968]

It would be nice to get a win considering as a doggies supporter you more expect a loss followed by a presser with more excuses, the players who are in FG albeit to cover an injured player means you've been selected because the coach can see your capable of handling FG, so put your body on the line and give 100% and if every player gives 100% there's no reason our team cannot match it with any team, also stop the stupid mistakes and giving away penalties that walk the opposition down the ground every game.

 

[Marki]

TPJ should be averaging at least a try a game, plus a try assist with his size and strength, he’s up in the line to much, he needs to be standing really deep and coming onto the ball like a freight train, he’d carry 3 across the line with him and still score, or off load and the runner beside him would score.

What happened to RFM and the big blokes standing back really deep from the try line and coming at them hard and fast running angles like Willy Mason and Ogre used to do ..

I don’t know what the coaches do during the week but even with players out we still have attacking weapons … if TPJ wants to offload get him to offload under the arm like Parker used to do, not over the shoulder and get plenty of runners and support around him like Broncos do with Haas.

We’re not the biggest pack but we do have speed, I’m not seeing that speed used enough in an old school Terry Lamb support style ..

Players like King, TPJ, Kiraz and a few others do bend the line but there’s very few in support for them to pop the ball to ..

I’ve said it before, the hardest thing to defend against is a moving foot ball.

They’re not going to beat the Warriors getting into a tough arm wrestle, they proved that last time we played them, they’re more powerful then us (I won’t say bigger or someone will measure every player) our blokes need to really move the ball around and tire them out.

A try a game is too much for even an outside back let alone a forward and a middle one at that.

The Bulldogs simply don't play a high tempo quick PTB type of game like Parra, Penrith, Titans or Raiders do.

We play a conservative and slow game. That's our DNA. It is based on our forwards freeing their arms (if possible) and offloading in traffic to a player who can scoot through the thin defence.

It is based on our halves playing at the line and finding players running run diagonal angles in between players. Unfortunately, this is something the current team doesn't do well unless JR is playing.

It is based on maximising energy levels by a smart and well executed kicking game and chase. Unfortunately, the NRL rules have changed and kicking the ball dead or out to give your team a breather, is no longer part of the game, so our tactic has been nullified.

Put simply.... The Bulldogs way of playing rugby league is outdated and inefficient. Teams like Dogs and Manly and Dragons who continue to try and play this way, need to be on top of their game week in week out to pull it off. If you're 5% off, you've lost.

Cronulla use to also play this kind of game, especially with Flanagan at the helm. But even they have moved on.

I'm not sure who needs to institute a change at the dogs, but I know we'll get nowhere if we continue to think we can play the old school way and be successful

 

[1967]

A try a game is too much for even an outside back let alone a forward and a middle one at that.

The Bulldogs simply don't play a high tempo quick PTB type of game like Parra, Penrith, Titans or Raiders do.

We play a conservative and slow game. That's our DNA. It is based on our forwards freeing their arms (if possible) and offloading in traffic to a player who can scoot through the thin defence.

It is based on our halves playing at the line and finding players running run diagonal angles in between players. Unfortunately, this is something the current team doesn't do well unless JR is playing.

It is based on maximising energy levels by a smart and well executed kicking game and chase. Unfortunately, the NRL rules have changed and kicking the ball dead or out to give your team a breather, is no longer part of the game, so our tactic has been nullified.

Put simply.... The Bulldogs way of playing rugby league is outdated and inefficient. Teams like Dogs and Manly and Dragons who continue to try and play this way, need to be on top of their game week in week out to pull it off. If you're 5% off, you've lost.

Cronulla use to also play this kind of game, especially with Flanagan at the helm. But even they have moved on.

I'm not sure who needs to institute a change at the dogs, but I know we'll get nowhere if we continue to think we can play the old school way and be successful

Yep mate I agree, probably a try per game is over cooking it, let’s just say with TPJ’s size he should be scoring more try’s and at least getting more try assists.

I feel if the big blokes stood deeper and mixed it up between angled runs and straight runs at speed, they’d have the defence a lot more worried and they’d have to get more numbers in there to stop them which would make for weaknesses and second guessing along their line.

The defence is obviously going to focus on the main threats, that’s why Waddell’s kick and try worked so well, it wasn’t expected, big blokes standing deep running in hard and off loading close to the line will create doubt and problems, I just feel we need to do more of it.

One of the reasons Presto’s been so effective is he stands deep and comes on hard and fast, that’s what I want to see more of from TPJ, RFM and King, get deep and come on at speed.

It’s probably been a problem that we really haven’t have an attacking 7 or 1 .. more ball players in the team would create more problems, I believe that’s why JR has been effective because he adds another attacking threat ..

Wouldn’t be surprised to actually see KO come into his own a bit more tonight in his 3rd game ..

While the opposition are focused on the attacking threats, players like Waddell and co should be deep coming on at speed and doing random unexpected shit.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Offence puts pressure on your defence.Taking the ball up and running at the hooker and half back does not work any longer as they are super fit these days and can complete 40-50 tackles a game without any issues.One up running is only successful when you have bigger men running at smaller men.We have a great mobile pack, yet we choose to run one out in an arm wrestle. The game against the storm was our finest of the season. Moving the ball around and tiring Melbourne's defence, we penetrated well.Where on earth has that game disappeared to. A reliance on Matt Burtons boot for a lottery result is risky as we don't compete for the high ball.In my lousy opinion as a team we should not be waisting valuable tackles and instead search for in every play a weekness in oposition defences.An example would be the Jacob Preston try against the Raiders,where he ran between two defenders that had got their distance wrong.The other example would be what the great Steve Mortimer quoted in an interview."We used to go down the side were their was more of us than them".Forget about decoy runners and start counting more players to less to create openings.I will be traveling to Accor stadium against the Gold Coast Titans next week, God help me.

The team from the Melbourne game

We haven't seen much of Kiraz, JAC, Kikau, RFM, Brown and Pele, take that amount of strike power out of any team and see how they go. That's almost half a team, plus some (Thompson), that would have been picked for the Melbourne game but were already injured.


Always a Bulldog

 

[TwinTurbo]

Our best players in Averillo, Kiraz, King and Jac are playing busted and are being rushed tbh. Kikau wasn’t close to his best before injury at all

50% correct, JAC isn't playing and Averillo isn't injured.


Always a Bulldog

 

[Marki]

The team from the Melbourne game
View attachment 71059
We haven't seen much of Kiraz, JAC, Kikau, RFM, Brown and Pele, take that amount of strike power out of any team and see how they go. That's almost half a team, plus some (Thompson), that would have been picked for the Melbourne game but were already injured.


Always a Bulldog

This injury excuse must end. It's a myth.

Only JAC and Kikau come into this team if CC was to pick it right now.

The other players you mention are either no longer in favour to the ones picked or are only back-up players.

We have a near full strength team and should not be using injuries as an excuse anymore.

This defeatist attitude must change.

 

[1967]

This injury excuse must end. It's a myth.

Only JAC and Kikau come into this team if CC was to pick it right now.

The other players you mention are either no longer in favour to the ones picked or are only back-up players.

We have a near full strength team and should not be using injuries as an excuse anymore.

This defeatist attitude must change.

I think JAC, Kikau & Thompson if he could pick now.

 

[TwinTurbo]

This injury excuse must end. It's a myth.

Only JAC and Kikau come into this team if CC was to pick it right now.

The other players you mention are either no longer in favour to the ones picked or are only back-up players.

We have a near full strength team and should not be using injuries as an excuse anymore.

This defeatist attitude must change.

It's not an excuse, it's a reason.

As at last round, a comparison to some other teams, that don't have the injury record that we do;

Brisbane Broncos (currently 1st on the ladder)

• Corey Oates (knee, Round 12)

Cronulla Sharks (currently 2nd on the ladder)

• Braden Hamlin-Uele (knee, Round 14)
• Toby Rudolf (foot, Round 18)
• Kade Dykes (knee, season)

South Sydney Rabbitohs (currently 3rd on the ladder)

• Keaon Koloamatangi (leg, Round 14)
• Shaquai Mitchell (foot, indefinite)
• Siliva Havili (ankle, mid-season)

In summary, the teams currently running 1st, 2nd and 3rd when added together have less injured players than us.


Always a Bulldog