Teaching an old Bulldog new tricks

If you told me you were a Bulldogs fan, I'd likely greet you with a grimace, pained sigh & sympathetic "are you okay?" With the side grinding towards a second consecutive wooden spoon, there's very little joy in watching what is, consistently, the worst attacking unit in the NRL.

But things are changing, and that's good... right?

Maybe.

1. The Coach is OUT

After coaching the Dogs to 5 wins in 34 games, Trent Barrett has tapped out, standing down. While there aren't a plethora of free agent coaches for 2023, the Bulldogs do have a few options to look at here.

• Michael Potter - As of writing, Potter has just been named the interim coach for the remainder of 2022. If the ex-Tigers coach can turn the Bulldogs fortune, he's in with a shot at retaining the job.
• Madge Maguire - Touted in a coaching swap, this one makes zero sense to me. Madge has seriously struggled to rebuild at the Tigers & their roster is only looking stronger for 2023, with the additions of Api Koroisau, Isaiah Papali'i & now Brent Naden. Poor move for both the coach & the organisation.
• Shane Flanagan - Father/Son coach/half duos are in right now, and the Flanagans could soon be joining their ranks. Shane has a chequered past, but did prove a successful coach, leading a tough Cronulla Sharks side to a drought-breaking Premiership in 2016.
• Someone else? - Paul Green, Cameron Ciraldo, Kristian Woolf & Steve Price may enter contention.
  
  

2. New Blood for 2023

What's the best way to fix a losing culture? I'm not on the Bulldogs staff, but I'd expect them to answer something like: "Buy winners". 

• Viliame Kikau - If you've watched Penrith at all this year, you've likely seen Luai, Kikau, Tago & May tearing teams apart. In the first 10 games of 2022, Kikau has 4 tries, 7 try assists, 25 tackle busts & 21 offloads - a clear antidote to Canterbury's struggling attack.
• Reed Mahoney - The Bulldogs got an absolute steal, snaring Parramatta's 24 year old hooker on a 4 year deal, worth $600k per season. Reed boasts effective defence, strong kicking & creative ball-play. This signing will go a long way to unlocking the Bulldogs forwards.
  
  

3. A Player Exodus?

With a number of players signing one year deals & looking at contract get-out clauses, Trent Barrett won't be the last to leave the blue & white.

• Matt Burton - Played with Barrett in the U20's & signed his Bulldogs contract with that in mind. Has a get-out clause for coaching changes & may be looking for greener pastures. If I had to guess, Burton seems like the kind of bloke who will honour his contract. 
• Matt Dufty - Not expected to receive an extension beyond his 1 year contract. Can Addo-Carr play fullback?
• Brent Naden - Left for the Tigers, effective immediately. I'm excited to see what Kiraz can do when given a shot.
• Paul Vaughan - Expected to leave at the end of 2021. Linked to the Super League. Max King has been far better than expected, so the Dogs will survive a Vaughan vacancy.
  
  

Moving from 16th to the finals is a huge mountain to climb, but the Bulldogs appear to be on the incline. I'd like to see the Dogs close to the top of the offload rankings over the next month, while adopting a free-flowing offensive game plan.

If they can start having fun & playing with confidence, this roster has the talent to push into that fringe top-8 conversation.

I'm going out on a limb here - it's time for optimism.