Monday Buzz: Canterbury Bulldogs going backwards despite big-money recruitments, what they must do to fix problems

The Bulldogs are averaging fewer points per game than last year when they ran 15th. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals what the side needs in order to get the best out of their big money recruits.

The Canterbury Bulldogs’ recruitment over the past couple of years has come back to bite them.

The Canterbury Bulldogs’ recruitment over the past couple of years has come back to bite them.

Lucky they’ve had Cameron Ciraldo and his close relationship with Penrith players that has landed the big-money signatures of Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton.

But they are strike weapons, not creators.

You look at the halves the Bulldogs have used since Phil Gould started in 2021.

Drew Hutchison, Toby Sexton, Kyle Flanagan, Matt Burton, Jake Averillo and Brandon Wakeham.

They threw millions at Mitchell Moses and tried to get Shaun Johnson. Both passed.

What do the Bulldogs need to do to get the best out of their recruits? Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

They also tried Ben Hunt when he was unhappy and unsettled at the Dragons.

The Bulldogs would have beaten Souths on Good Friday had their playmaking options have been better.

They won the penalties 11-6, they had 57 per cent of possession and 42 tackles in the opposition 20m – compared to the 18 that Souths had.

But there was no one to manage the attack.

So many times the Rabbitohs looked vulnerable but the Bulldogs didn’t capitalise.

Hutchison is a goer and tries hard every week.

But he’s not a week-in, week-out NRL halfback.

They are lacking cohesion and communication.

Stephen Crichton was the big-money signing of the off-season for the Bulldogs. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

There’s no question this Bulldogs side is playing better and tougher than last year.

The players are turning up each week and having a decent crack.

Yet it’s hard to see them climbing from the NRL premiership ladder without a quality halfback.

Their new chairman, Adam Driussi, was on social media on Saturday night boasting about another Harold Matthews (under-17s) minor premiership.

“We are committed to our strategy of investing in our pathways programs to build the NRL and NRLW Bulldogs of the future,” he said.

This won’t help their long-suffering fans.

They want results now, not another five-year plan.

Where the Dogs, Gould and Ciraldo go from here is the big question.

Their off-season recruitment, outside of Crichton, wasn’t great.

Work to do for Cameron Ciraldo and the Bulldogs. Picture: NRL Photos

They spent almost $2m on handy utility players in Hutchison, Kurt Mann, Jake Turpin, Jaeman Salmon, Blake Taaffe and Connor Tracey – all borderline starting 13 players at their previous clubs.

But not a specialist playmaker among them.

There were options including the likes of Jayden Sullivan, Jack Cogger or even Brad Schneider, who was so outstanding for Penrith in the Panthers’ 22-16 against the Roosters on Thursday night.

Ciraldo says the recruits have definitely helped with the intensity, the culture and quality of training at Belmore each week.

The bottom line is the Bulldogs are averaging just 15 points a game after the first month of the competition.

Last year, when they ran 15th, they averaged 18 points a game.

So they are going backwards, on the scoreboard at least – and only the recruitment of a quality halfback will fix it.