NRL news: How new-look 2023 Bulldogs team compares to 2022 battlers

It’s taken years, but the Bulldogs’ rebuild is finally nearing completion, with a whopping 14 changes in their predicted starting 17 for 2023.

The Bulldogs are back baby!

It’s taken eight long and frustrating seasons, but in the eyes of many, the Bulldogs have finally found their answer to former captain Michael Ennis.

Eels grand final hooker Reed Mahoney will officially commence his NRL journey as a Bulldog on Monday and the high-profile recruit has a powerful source of motivation.

“I want to be the best, that’s who I am,’’ Mahoney said.

“I’m going there to win.

“I’m not going there for any other reason. I see it as a big challenge in this chapter of my career.

“I’ve closed the book on one chapter and opened up another one.

All my experiences at Parramatta I’m taking with me. I can’t wait.’’

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW THE BULLDOGS WILL LOOK IN 2023 COMPARED TO 2022

Canterbury recruit Reed Mahoney dons the club colours for the first time. Credit: Supplied.

BIG SIGNING PRESSURE

Mahoney represents the Bulldogs new breed.

Alongside Penrith powerhouse and fellow recruit Viliame Kikau, Mahoney’s arrival has Canterbury fans planning to wake-up on Christmas Day with belief in their stockings as opposed to the lumps of coal of previous years.

Already, many fans believe Mahoney is the best hooker to join the Dogs since Ennis led the club in 2014. Mahoney, 24, agreed that fans had every reason to feel excited.

But as for feeling the pressure of expectation, Mahoney said he wouldn’t be succumbing to it.

“I knew when I signed the contract 12 months ago, where it would lead me,’’ Mahoney said.

“It’s just me going out there and doing my job.

“What I’ve been doing at Parramatta is what I’ll need to do at Canterbury.

“That’s why I’m in this situation. I’m not going to go there and try to be someone I’m not.

“I’m just going to go there and be Reed Mahoney, which got me where I am today.

“I don’t need to change any of that.

“The only thing I can change is getting better as a player and helping my teammates do better.’’

Mahoney is keen to help unlock the big boot of Matt Burton. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Jake Averillo should get first crack at fullback for the Dogs. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

THE SPINE

Mahoney gave a great insight into how he was able to strike such a lethal spine combination at Parramatta with chief playmakers Dylan Brown, Mitchell Moses and Clint Gutherson.

He shed light on how he intends to adopt a similar philosophy to get the Canterbury spine of Jake Averillo, Matt Burton and Kyle Flanagan in-tune and firing.

“When Burto (Matt Burton) gets back from his time off, we’ll all sit down and talk about what we want to do,’’ Mahoney said.

“The spine is the rock for the other players in the team to perform, so we all need to be on the same page.

“It won’t be about trying to outdo each other. It’s that we’re trying to work together.

“It’s about understanding each other’s roles and understanding what each player is best at.

“It’s little things like how you want the ball passed to you. How we communicate, when they want the ball.

“Those things go a long way.

“Obviously Burto has got the biggest boot in the game, so we need to work out a way where we can get that to work.

“But also, so that it’s not something that we have to go to all the time.’’

FITTER, FASTER

Despite helping drive the Eels to the 2022 grand final, Mahoney provided a surprising revelation about his bank of fitness that got him there.

Despite playing the most number of games (28) in one season in his entire career, Mahoney said that on the back of a shoulder reconstruction in August 2021, it took him until mid-year to perform under duress and his rhythm.

“Last year I had my shoulder done and I came back heavier than I’m used to,’’ Mahoney said.

“This year, I want to be a bit more agile. I feel now my shoulder is right, I feel like my body is starting to adapt.

“It can take a long time to get back, because with a shoulder injury, everything around it doesn’t work.

“I didn’t have a full pre-season which doesn’t help.

“It took me until the back end of the year to turn up in places (on the field) where I wanted to turn up.

“At the start of the year, I just couldn’t get there.’’

New Canterbury Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

LEADERSHIP VOID

Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo is already down a leader – and not just any leader – with the sudden retirement of club stalwart Josh Jackson.

Mahoney, with his elite-level consistency shown over the course of the past four seasons and across 100 NRL Games, is likely to be called upon by Ciraldo to help fill the leadership void.

“I’ve played 100 games and I feel the experience from that helps you in how to deal with people and how to get the best out of the players around you,’’ Mahoney said.

“For me it’s turning up to training and building respect through my actions at training.

“That’s what I live for. That’s who I am.

“That’s how I’ve got to where I am today, through how hard I’ve worked and how determined I am.

“That’s how I’m going to build respect and that’s how I’ll lead, through my actions.’’

HOW THE BULLDOGS WILL LOOK IN 2023 COMPARED TO 2022

Originally published as NRL news: How new-look 2023 Bulldogs team compares to 2022 battlers