The Bulldogs realized something had to change in 2021, so they hired one of rugby league’s brightest thinkers, Phil Gould, to lead a revolutionary turnaround.
But now, after 32 months in Belmore, there is a sense that the ailing club is ready to deliver after one of the most significant overhauls in NRL history.
With Raymond Faitala-Mariner’s departure to the Dragons, the club’s top-30 makeover is complete, with not a single player remaining from Gould’s 2021 squad.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jeremy Marshall-King, Nick Meaney, and Adam Elliott were among the players on the roster who went on to achieve success.
To replace that generation of players, Gould brought in major names like Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr, and Reed Mahoney.
A new batch of players arrived before the 2024 season, including Bronson Xerri, Connor Tracey, Blake Taaffe, Jaeman Salmon, Josh Curran, Drew Hutchison, Kurt Mann, Jake Turpin, Zane Tetevano, Poasa Faamausili, and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.Even Trent Barrett, the 2021 coach, was fired and replaced by rugby league coaching’s golden kid, former Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo.
Now, with their skilled rookie coach at the helm, the Bulldogs are poised for a season that may make or break the club’s new era.
Foxsports.com.au and rugby league veteran Cooper Cronk talk into the Bulldogs’ major moves, which could cause a seismic upheaval at Belmore.
Comparing the Team
To begin the 2021 season, the Bulldogs’ spine included Corey Allan, Jake Averillo, Kyle Flanagan, and Sione Katoa.
Averillo was a fan favorite, and many were sad when he left for the Dolphins at the end of the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Allan and Katoa played fewer than 30 games for the Bulldogs, while Flanagan played 50 before being declared surplus to needs by Gould.
Ciraldo enters the 2024 season with a totally different spine at his disposal, one that may understand what it takes to win.
Blake Taaffe, the least experienced of the four players, appeared in the 2021 grand final against the Panthers and performed admirably despite having only played a few games.
Matt Burton won a premiership in the centres during his time at Penrith, and Drew Hutchison was part of the squad when the Roosters won in 2019.
Trent Robinson praised Hutchison for his versatility, giving him 71 games between 2019 and 2023 before his departure.
Meanwhile, Reed Mahoney arrived following a season with the Eels in which they were one game away from claiming the trophy.
The Bulldogs’ key decision-making positions have clearly improved, which Cronk believes was necessary given the team’s absence from the finals since 2016.
“The outcome will indicate whether it was the right decision, but something had to change. “How long has it been since the Bulldogs played in the finals?” Cronk said.
“So there had to be a rebuild. Did it need to be aggressive? Did it need to be a little more passive? Well, that is entirely up to Phil Gould and the decision makers.
“But ultimately results will determine where it’s the right approach or not and no one can answer that until they start climbing up the ladder.”
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