‘That’s not the team we want to be’: Cameron Ciraldo delivers some home truths as Bulldogs coach ponders big changes

Kyle Flanagan is getting closer to an NRL recall after an epic performance in NSW Cup put some first-graders on notice.

Several Bulldogs stars have been put on notice by coach Cameron Ciraldo after he called out their defensive woes on Monday. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has lashed his side’s defence and threatened mass changes after they were beaten 34-12 by Parramatta on Monday despite making more line breaks than their opponents.

The Bulldogs missed a staggering 56 tackles and conceded three tries in the space of eight minutes to sit just one win above the last-placed Dragons, while they also boast the worst points differential in the NRL.

Cameron Ciraldo was furious with his side’s defence against Parramatta. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“I thought defensively we were terrible. The 54 missed tackles shows that,” Ciraldo said.

“There was a lack of effort off the ball, no togetherness in our defence and some really poor tackling which pisses me off the most.

“We’ve got young players, but we’ve also got older players who need to do better. The young players are going to learn on the run and they’re going to make mistakes, but I didn’t feel like they made a lot of them tonight.

“I thought our three best players were Karl Oloapu, Khaled Rajab and Jacob Preston. We need the more experienced guys to help them.”

Prop forward Tevita Pangai Junior can’t be faulted for his effort, but it was his overzealousness in defence that directly led to two tries in the space of two minutes that effectively killed off the contest.

Pangai chased too hard to put pressure on Mitch Moses, with the Eels halfback able to take advantage of the space back through the middle to set up tries for Clint Gutherson.

The defensive lapses may have cost Pangai his State of Origin spot, but Ciraldo put the blame on the other players for not helping out.

The Eels punished Tevita Pangai Junior for a couple of mistakes in defence, with the Bulldogs star now out of the Blues team. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“I said to them that if you’re going to make a mistake defensively then make it going hard, and he went hard twice. He got the detail wrong, but there was no one on the inside that could help save his arse, and that’s what good teams do,” he said.

“We made seven line breaks to six, but they scrambled way better than what we did. That’s not the team we want to be.

“We want to build this club on defence, and to have that many points put on you and to miss 54 tackles is not what we’re going to be about.

“We’ve got a system in place that we believe in and we know it’s going to get us to where we need to be.

“Everyone has been given a chance to show they can do this system, but at the moment if they can’t then we’re going to have to find people that can.”

Kyle Flanagan could be back in the NRL soon after he scored four tries in reserve grade. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

That could include Kyle Flanagan, who once again shone in his new role at hooker in reserve grade where he scored four tries and kicked eight goals in the 64-12 win over the Eels.

Flanagan’s future in the halves appears over at Canterbury, and while Reed Mahoney will always be the starting hooker, a spot on the bench can’t be far off.

“He’s training really well and he’s bought into the new position,” Ciraldo said.

“He’s probably just in an unlucky position at the moment where he’s behind our captain in reserve grade at the moment, but he’s doing everything possible to try to force his way into the team.

“Maybe at some stage that might mean a bench spot moving forward.”