Can we win next week.  Is there a team somewhere in the universe we can beat.

Broncos have a much better squad, they will be desperate.

If the team keeps hanging in sooner or later we will win the odd game.

The usual weekend double will happen...
Dogs beaten ☑️

Ok well the DWZ experiment at FB is over - not safe under the high ball and has the carry back error  very much alive as always. He can run hard on the wing as he did v Saints. Meaney the answer and should never have been shifted . He now of course will have to regain some level of confidence but he is safe under the highball and is a smooth runner and must  be encouraged to hang just behind the ruck. RFM and Elliot give much better energy than poor Jacko now . Wakeham and Foran ran some good same side plays. However we must now attack on every play inside the 20/30m. Sharp movement on every tackle with someone at  the very least running into the line and looking to offload. A fantasy wish ; Tolman to come off once play gets to the opposition 30 (we would need interchange dispensation from the NRL). Seriously he can pass just fine - OR run into a hole or be a decoy  

After watching Wakeham and Foran today I see Wakeham and Lewis the long term 1/2 and 5/8 
Lewis is a old style 5/8 and should sit back and wait for Wakeham to send the ball wide , after Wakeham has made darting runs and directing the ship.
I think Lewis could develop into a Gary Hughes type 5/8 as his hands are soft and he has the vision - just not the consistent long pass execution as yet.

We need some ball playing forwards .
I feel Lewis is an answer here but can't work out whether he should be a centre, edge forward or hooker - he could play as an forward in attack because his short passing is ok ( longer passes will get better in time) and defence or perhaps centre but he is not a dynamic runner so perhaps hooker??

best team
1. Meaney
2. DWZ
3. Averillo
4. Lewis/Holland
5.Smith
6.Foran
7. Wakeham
8.Tolman
9.JMK / Lewis
10.To'omaga
11. Jacko
12.RFM
13. Elliot
14.Thompson
15.Sue
16.Napa
17.Holland

The Broncos are all spiking and they're not even coming last.

Gotta love the double standards of the journos.  Hooper giving it to Cleary for blowing kisses to the crowd but last week applauding the passion of Horsburgh giving the crowd the bird.

On a separate matter...

Does anyone remember how many weeks did Klemmer get for abusing that scumbag Sutton on the Good Friday game?

Im sure AFB will get off lightly after his outburst today.... watch n see!

It already happened for me....
Dogs lost 
Hawks lost
I'm worried QPR might go down tonight too....

No Montoya?

I think he is a must and our best centre until we get better replacements.

I was wondering the same thing.....
I cant remember if it was 2 weeks or maybe more

Sooking

We had a centre in Harper and didn't give him a fair go to see if he had it.  No use now if he's leaving.

Just got home from the game. I thought Foran was our best. Wakeham was solid, he must say our half back. DWZ is a winger, he gives nothing but 100%. Remis Smith needs to be dropped for a couple of weeks to re gain his confidence.
Napa is just rubbish. Especially for $600K. He is the most disappointing player. I’m hoping that Thompson will wake up Napa. Tolman just does all the hard work. Unfortunately he is not going to win the game for you.

Being at the game you would see what's happening better than us couch potatoes.  From the TV I get the feeling, that other than kicking, Wakeham takes a back seat to Foran until late in the game.  He's much better than that.  Is this how it looks at the game?

Good summary, Smith will be ok if we move him back to the wing and keep him there.

Yes, for all his size, he just doesnt have the ability to break tackles, beat his opposite man with a step or a shimmy and not exactly quick off the mark. He does have aerial presence and a good reach so wing looks like his only position. 

QPR finally get a win and just about escape Championship relegation

The best thing to come out of yesterday was that in the first half Wakeham looked every bit like the halfback we need. He wouldn't shut up, pointing here directing there, he ran, he passed, he kicked, he looked dangerous every time he had the ball in his hands, tackled everything.

There's our f***in' halfback!

Then he went into his shell in the 2nd half with the game to be won. WTF happened?

If he can bring that first half consistently, we got the player we can build the spine around. If he can't he's just another failed project.

I'll give him the benefit of youth for now, but someone's got to show him that first half and tell him to take control.

I was listening to the radio this morning and that telecrap dude, what's his name  buzz lightyear whatever, was saying the Dogs are in financial trouble and Lynn Anderdon looks like stepping down.

Leagues club money probably reduced

Mdog, it was mentioned that the Dogs owe $50 to $60M on that Liverpool property project and the Leagues club had a financial loss of about $1M last year, where it usually makes about $4M profit a year. 

I am not slashing my wrist over our position, as it was clear from the time Hasler left that it would be 2021 before we could afford to do anything anyway. I just wish that somebody in the coaching realm at the club has more vision than Dean Pay and convince him to give some of the more promising juniors a run so they can gauge exactly what we have need and who we need, so as to fix our situation.

Too many * needs* in thst last post.

That is how I saw the game, Wakeham is the best option, more confidence an energy should  come with more experience..

Jacko is a good leader but in the 2nd half of games we need a bit more threat running off Wakeham on the left... what is worth a punt is adding young Doorey to the bench and seeing how he goes, out side of him the cupboard is unfortunately bare. I would bring Doorey on move Jacko to the middle and even give Jacko the occasional rest, IMO he is looking tired and  has worked himself into the ground. If Chris Smith is back he is another more experienced alternative,,,

Averliio shoudl be back, and a right edge of Foran, RFM, Averillo and Smith is plenty dangerous.. especially if Foran can put Averillo in space with some good passes. 

With the unfortunate injury to Elliott, I would shuffle Tolman back to lock and start Thompson, out pack lacks size,  but we might have line speed mobility and work rate.
If teams go with the Broncos they can tired, get impatient and make a lot of dumb errors, let's hope they keep up that form.. 

The Souths gave 1st half was the best our dummy half and halves have looked for years... if we can tighten up the defence and keep working on that attack we have a basic formula that it sour best shot form here.

But is is also clear we are 3-4 good players short of being a competitive side, especially with the  departure of CHN, then the injuries to Hoppa and Elliott.

I can't fault the attitude, work ethic, energy and commitment of the players... it is kind of ironic that we are the team who plays closest to it's full potential each week, the problem is our full potential isn't good enough to win most weeks. 

Pay selecting DWZ at fullback, Smith in the centres and Lewis in the halves, has probably cost us a win or 2. Again the payers especially DWZ and Lewis are trying hard, you can't fault their effort, they just don't have the skill or brains to play those positions..

My team for this week..

1. Meaney (time to find out)
2. Smith
3. Montoya
4. Averillo
5. DWZ (Crichton unlucky)
6. Foran
7. Wakeham
8. Napa
9 JMK
10 Thompson
11. Jackson
12. RFM
13 Tolman

14. Cogger
15. Doorey/Smith/Britt
16. Renouf T
17. Jessie

Smith and DWZ should play better on the wings... before the Hoppa/Averillo injures they were both playing better on the wing..

If Meaney has a bad game at fullback and costs us the game, that answers a question worth asking, because if he has a good game, he might win it for us.

Same with Doorey a taste of NRL might be good for the kid, I'm fairly confident he is a future NRL backrower. 

Where the coaches name is normally listed on team sheets it should be left blank until we have one. A blank spot on our jersey reflects what the Bulldogs brand is currently worth. No coaching vision, no corporate vision.Canterbury Blankstown Guide Dogs!

Sad but true.  Unfortunately not much to bolster confidence coming from administration either.

Old man Bennett said the Dogs played well and I agree especially in the first half..
A lot is going to depend  on whether the players decide to focus on the positives and try  to build on that, or focus on the negatives and become a shambles like the Broncos were last game.
We seem to be a mentally tough football team, the frustrating thing is playing this style, with a full strength side and better team selection, we win more games have more confidence and everything is easier.
We do need to maintain the energy and intensity which is something the players have struggled with, most flat performances are starting slow or starting the 2nd half slow.
It is very hard to consistently put in this level of effort when you are not winning games.  
Even when starting slow and getting smashed they have a dig and put in the effort...
Maintaining that attitude will be hard, but it is a big plus if we can do  it..
Repeat the first 40 minutes against Souths for 80 minutes has to be the next aim, do that and we should win the odd game.. do that with 3-5 better players, and we are getting close to challenging for the 8 in 2021.

Elliott gone for season confirmation on Twitter