Bulldogs sorry season continues with 36-12 capitulation to Dragons

Despite talk of a salary cap war chest to revive this once great club, the sorry showing against St George Illawarra demonstrates how the immediate future still looks bleak for Canterbury.

Kieran Foran says it all. Image: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

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The good news for Bulldogs fans is that the team they take on next round have dropped their last three games.

The bad news is that it’s the Sydney Roosters, who will probably turn up extra motivated to make up for their recent slide in form.

As bad as Monday’s 36-12 hammering by St George Illawarra was for this once proud club, you get the feeling rock bottom is still to come.

Kieran Foran says it all. Image: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

The easy thing to do would be to lay the blame squarely on Dean Pay. Yet I’m not sure Craig Bellamy could turn the squad Pay is currently working with into consistent winners.

Pay sat in the media conference and tried to put on a brave face as he spoke about how he would continue to try and motivate his players, given we have only just passed the season’s halfway point.

“We are where we are,” Pay said. “We have to keep trying to improve on what we have been doing.

“There is some good periods of footy there. We started the second half OK. We got in the arm wrestle for a while. But then we came up with two or three errors.

“If we can cut some of our errors out or reduce them it is going to help.”

Bulldogs coach Dean Pay can’t hide from results. Image: Matt King/Getty Images

But the problem for Pay is that the NRL is a results-driven business, and for too long now the Bulldogs’ results have been going backwards.

They not only boast the league’s worst defence in 2019, conceding an average of 23 points a game, but also have the worst attack, scoring on average just over 12.

Behind the scenes Canterbury is trying to sell a message that there are clear skies on the horizon, with a reported $8.5 million set to become available in their salary cap in 2021.

But what is the use of even talking about what might or might not happen in 21 months from now if they can’t at least show some signs of improvement this season?

Bulldogs fans should get used to watching their rivals celebrate. Image: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Pay was asked if he felt he was attempting the impossible with an inferior roster to other clubs? He tried to be respectful.

“Look, for us it is about making sure we get the best out of these young blokes,” Pay added.

“That is where it is at. We are trying as hard as we possibly can to turn these kids into the best players they possibly can be.

“And moving forward, you know, that is what we want. We want to keep them here at the club. But we want players here that are going to make sure that we change for semi-finals, challenge for the top four.

“That is our aim. It might not happen tomorrow but we are certainly on the track to getting there.”

On track for the top four?

Bulldogs fans are entitled to question if this club is even on track to become a top four club in the next century.

They say there is only one thing worse than offering no hope — and that is false hope.

Originally published as Bulldogs sorry season continues with 36-12 capitulation to Dragons