We can only judge team selection, we don;t know what the players are coached to do, it certainly isn't shift the ball after a break in play and have Tolman flop back a pass to Foran under pressure. Tolman is most at fault here, he should have just hit it up, that was the only sensible play...

I also doubt we are coached to do a long shift all the time after getting momentum on a edge and ever play short sides...

JMK did make a couple of runs, most of our play is OK, in the opposition 20-30 we are making a lot of bad decisions...

I'm amazed we don't have some plays were we just give CHN early ball with Meaney in support...

Like I said earlier, the Storm did a good job of slowing us down,,,, but they didn't force us to take bad options...

Bennett's formula is the right one, his record shows that....

He has been lucky to mostly have good spine players. but disciple, fitness, defence and attitude are no fluke.

At worst that means you need to beat a Bennett team, they don't beat themselves....

He also seems good at managing players and getting the best out of them...

Pay seems OK in motivating players ...  our biggest problem is players making dumb decisions .. that is inexperience, and a lack of confidence.

bulldogs next 3 games 

Bulldogs vs. Raiders ANZ Stadium 7:35pmROUND
 13Monday, Jun 10Bulldogs vs. Dragons ANZ Stadium 4:00pmROUND
14Sunday, Jun 16Roosters vs. Bulldogs TBA 4:05pm

Raiders might have a few playing SOO, we mostly need to get our game together, then we will get some wins, the team isn't that bad, 

HD... we played Manly with 80% of their 1st grade squad out injured & still lost. 


Doesn’t matter who we play..... it all depends on which Bulldogs team will turn up?

Canterbury Cup had some great play. Dogs were really on fire in a lot of it. RFM and Renouf and Dutchy all made some excellent offloads and even in lower grade Lewis seems a much more effective kicker than Cogger. 

Great win by Reggies.... I think Mounties were 1st. 


RFM & Renouf T surely are a must next week in 1st grade. 

Jackson needs a rest.... he looked poor today & has been average all year tbh. 

If you watched the game on FOX you would have heard that the STORM left side had let in 2 tries all year, yet the DOGS attacked that side.
Again on FOX ENNIS said, after SUE scored that the right edge was the STORM weak spot, 17 tries. Apart from the SUE try no play there.
Are our coaching staff that old school that we don't use technology?

Why does TOLMAN receive the ball so much, even from 2nd receiver?
My mates text me today and say you are OK now TOLMAN is off on HIA, but no he is back and OGDEN has less minutes and the burners continue.

JACKO is the new TOLMAN out wide unfortunately and the faster players are stepping him every week.
 He is being targeted. He is a great defender in the middle.

Today CRICHTON played well, ran the ball for 148 metres, made tackle 3 breaks in the 1st half and I think he touched the ball once in half 2.

SMITH is wasted at the DOGS, a potentially great winger not given a go.

If anyone saw the CCC Cup game 52-22 win after being down 0-16 after 16 minutes against the leaders please explain who was responsible.

JMK is not a 1st grade 9. As we don't have anyone else I reckon COGGER to 9. A tough guy defence no worse than JMK (have a look at today's game).
That would have LEWIS at 7. I am not sure if LEWIS is the answer but if he takes the line on a bit more I think he will make it.

 

It was quite a good tribute to Steve Folkes. Greg Brentnall spoke well as did Folkesie's kids. Steve Price appears to have been taking advantage of the complimentary party pies at the board meetings. There was a brief recap of the Dogs at Belmore...some nice Entertainers tries but no Max Mannix...how could it be?

Yes, out of all of them, MAX'S was the most spectacular.
Maybe the first and last swan dive attempt.

Similar thoughts, But I would have Lewis in 9, keep Cogger at 7 and JMK at 14. Can take Cogger off when JMK comes on. Lewis is a fit player who will handle this. Need to throw JMK on early in the 2nd half.

Every 2nd game Cogger is very good, half is his position.... can't explain why he is poor every 2nd game. This game it seemed our whole strategy was flawed, but in truth the forwards lost the bsttle.

Also agree on move Jacko to the middle and tell the players to stop passing to Tolman.

The most spectacular to me many years ago was when a long range goal kick was taken and as the crowd watched a guy came through the southern turnstyle, took a look around and was promptly knocked out by the ball. 

And if anybody remembers a winger named BARRY SMITH. He ran down the left touchline and centre kicked inside the quarter.
The ball landed 20 metres over the southern entrance.

Unfortunately TOLMAN is so keen he is there. Surely the coaching staff can tell him to play as a decoy.
I think COGGER is a smart player and I reckon he needs a player like CHN on his side.

The DOGS need a strike centre badly. If we had one you would see CHN and MEANEY step up a level.
They are going backwards in this team.

DEAN PAY has to have a good look at his tactics and selections. He has nearly lost me.

Does anyone else think we could move Hoppa to 2nd row Smith to centre and promote a young fast winger?

Hoppa is fit enough and big enough, Smith at least has the pace to do something with early ball.

I am happy with Montoya for now, the drop was bad, but at least he was trying to make a difference, and like Smith he runs hard.

Players thst use footwork in the centres before accelerating annoy me, if is ok in touch, in NRL use your speed to use the space, use  your footwork late when the defence is set.

Hoppa is skillfull and has a great pass fast enough for a backrower and has more space to work in. Would need to prove his defence in thr backrow. He is a good defensive centre, and has the occasional good game in attack, but shuffling around isn't how to play centre,  unless the defence is rushing and fully comitted.

Agree with Nodster regarding Jackson...

I still believe he needs a week off, he’s missing tackles, dropping balls, he’s no Boyd Cordner, but when Jackson tries to get involved in spreading the ball in attack... it’s slow motion stuff that’s easily read by the defence unfortunately. 


For me after todays performance & the performance of our forwards... there needs to be a shake up up front

I’d bring in RFM & Renouf T at the expense of Chris Smith & Fualalo

Lachlan Lewis after today’s reggies big win deserves a call up too. 


The best player today for the Dogs was Crichton..... really didn’t rate him, but today he was excellent. 

One thing Cogger does very well for a young player is thow a good ball to a player hitting a hole. Thst is what we should be working on.

I agree Pay should have a good think and shake things up. After Smith, Cogger was the biggest threat running the ball on that side. Not fair on a young half to have such limited options. Ok they were helping him in defence, but work on finding out if something else would work.

Canberra will be missing:-

Rapana
Leilua
Bateman
Josh Hodgson 
Nick Cotric
Wrighton
Pappalli 

So with that much talent out, who thinks the Dogs are specials?

Ok I think we will win... Canberra changes, our changes, and desperation...
We will have Napa out...

As the DOGS CCC Cup team beat the Mounties 52-22, maybe we put the in, including LICHAA.

If Pay doesn't make changes, I'm less confident.

I'm sorry but if you are or want to be in first grade, you have to cut out the stupid plays or you better have 2 or 3 players that can make up for them. 

At the moment we have too many players who are making silly errors and not enough good players that can compensate.

Our future is a Meaney-Lewis-Cogger spine but I dont know who will be our long term hooker. Starting to think it's not JMK. 

Foran proved today why my statistical evaluation of him is deadly accurate.

Refer to an earlier post in the week from me.
If I were coach I would drop Jacko for a week or two to reinvigorate him in a reggie's team that plays a different style.

CHN, Martin and CSmith can handle first grade.

That was my other thought Foran might not be 100% fit.

The Storm were a step up in class but neither of our halves had a great game.
Meaney was excellent as usual....

The early JAC try highlighted Hoppa's snail pace. I guess 2ndrow worth a try but he isn't amongst the best or effective top 20 centres. Smith to centre and Crighton wing is worth a try. It's all over for this season so try and test player's suitability and best positions for the team.

Josh Morris makes Origin team. Don't that rub it in!

Barry Smith.  Brilliant in reserve grade, average in first grade. High point a sensational try in a pre season cup game at The Sports Ground around 1962

Yes...later moved to forwards with effect and I do remember that kick...quite prodigious. Liked a bit of fisticuffs too did young Barry

So Aaron Woods signs with us to play with his bro Klemmer.
2 weeks later Woods is gone. 
2 months later Klemmer is gone and out of Sydney far away from his bro. 

BRING BACK BUSTLING BARRY WARD! 

That is the one recruitment/retention decision we might have got wrong...

But JMoz was never going to be here for our next premiership... I'm glad we are not window dressing the results this year and even gladder we haven't dropped fully off the pace.

But we don't want to come last, we don't want the team to become used to losing, or for standards to drop....

I'm glad reserve grade had a good win, I'm taking that as a positive as it is time for a few changes.

This season has show the value of squad rotation, most players that have been dropped have come back better players, competition for places is going to keep the standards up. 

Equally we are finding out which of our players don't really have what it takes and which young guys have potential.

The players in our NRL squad who I think are a big part of our future are, Tolman, Lewis, CHN, Odgen, Meaney, Cogger, R Smith, Okunbor, Elliott 

There are a few in reserve grade you can add to this list and a few 50/50s.....  

I'm hoping Jacko comes good as I want to add him to my list... time for him to play 13...

 RFM, Renouf T and Harper are the reserve grades I'm confident about and you can add a few young guys....

Martin is a 50/50, I think he will make the cut but he isn't over the line... 

Foran is a 50/50 depending only on the state of his body ..... I don;t want to pay big money for a guy that has to manage his workload.

Bring back Mundine so Barry has someone to sledge...