Bulldogs Debate Page
- Thread starter Dman2025
- Start date
Criticism of the side and how we are playing is warranted.
Against the Storm effort and desire can close some of the gap.
Don't change our defence, adapt team selection and bench rotation and rely on effort and desire.
In attack we need some plays off 1-2 passes, some plays off 3-4 passes and a few sweeping plays across the field with lots of passes.
Stand deeper on the open side, and sometimes play flat on the short side.
We should use the fitness and mobility of Galvin in attack including as a decoy. In addition to knowing when we are going to shift, opposition teams know that Galvin often gets the ball.
Stand Galvin deep, and an opposition defenders will rush up on him, if they don't rush up, that is a licence to roam late and be a support player.
We want Galvin getting the ball, but not when the opposition expects him to get it.
It is obvious that rushing Galvin is a high priority for opposition defences. If he stands deeper we empty their batteries or create indecision and disconnection.
We can't just do it with effort and desire, we need to be a bit smarter.
Telling Galvin that in attack he is playing like a second fullback is one way to get the message across and if we pass to him when he is deep his instincts have some time to respond to a possibly disjointed defence.
They can't rush up on a deeper standing Galvin, not as a straight line, and not when we might pass to another flatter player.
Against the Storm effort and desire can close some of the gap.
Don't change our defence, adapt team selection and bench rotation and rely on effort and desire.
In attack we need some plays off 1-2 passes, some plays off 3-4 passes and a few sweeping plays across the field with lots of passes.
Stand deeper on the open side, and sometimes play flat on the short side.
We should use the fitness and mobility of Galvin in attack including as a decoy. In addition to knowing when we are going to shift, opposition teams know that Galvin often gets the ball.
Stand Galvin deep, and an opposition defenders will rush up on him, if they don't rush up, that is a licence to roam late and be a support player.
We want Galvin getting the ball, but not when the opposition expects him to get it.
It is obvious that rushing Galvin is a high priority for opposition defences. If he stands deeper we empty their batteries or create indecision and disconnection.
We can't just do it with effort and desire, we need to be a bit smarter.
Telling Galvin that in attack he is playing like a second fullback is one way to get the message across and if we pass to him when he is deep his instincts have some time to respond to a possibly disjointed defence.
They can't rush up on a deeper standing Galvin, not as a straight line, and not when we might pass to another flatter player.
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I would think about starting Marhoney at 9 and Hayward at 7, bringing Galvin on off the bench after 20 minutes.
I'm 50-50 on Salmon or Turpin at 13.
Stack the starting line up with mobile high workrate defenders.
Curran and King also fit that bill.
We don't need to throw too many passes at the start of the game. Hayward is capable of playing halfback, but Burton needs to do most of the kicking.
Galvin is starting to put on muscle and is starting to hit with his shoulder. The target is 12kg of muscle.
The players like Sexton and Galvin, but I think some of our players are starting to get sick of our fans blaming Galvin for everything.
I hope that the critics remember that they were critics when they see how Galvin plays in 2026, 2027 and hopefully in a dog's jersey for many years after that.
Players know a win will silence a lot of team critics and a lot of Galvin critics. Our fans may be providing extra motivation, but not in the way they intended.
We will need to mostly win with our defence. Run at Pezet if he is on, otherwise run at Harry.
One player can't change the whole team. Galvin is a lock or 5/8 filling in at halfback. Cirro has taken us from bottom of the pile to top 4 and close to a contender.
Next season guys like Thompson, Latu, Woods, Dykes, Spinks, Todd, Underhill and Sua can potentially take us a few more rungs up the ladder.
But for this season, the coach and players are giving it their best shot.
I'm 50-50 on Salmon or Turpin at 13.
Stack the starting line up with mobile high workrate defenders.
Curran and King also fit that bill.
We don't need to throw too many passes at the start of the game. Hayward is capable of playing halfback, but Burton needs to do most of the kicking.
Galvin is starting to put on muscle and is starting to hit with his shoulder. The target is 12kg of muscle.
The players like Sexton and Galvin, but I think some of our players are starting to get sick of our fans blaming Galvin for everything.
I hope that the critics remember that they were critics when they see how Galvin plays in 2026, 2027 and hopefully in a dog's jersey for many years after that.
Players know a win will silence a lot of team critics and a lot of Galvin critics. Our fans may be providing extra motivation, but not in the way they intended.
We will need to mostly win with our defence. Run at Pezet if he is on, otherwise run at Harry.
One player can't change the whole team. Galvin is a lock or 5/8 filling in at halfback. Cirro has taken us from bottom of the pile to top 4 and close to a contender.
Next season guys like Thompson, Latu, Woods, Dykes, Spinks, Todd, Underhill and Sua can potentially take us a few more rungs up the ladder.
But for this season, the coach and players are giving it their best shot.
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SAQFLY
Reserve Player
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2025
- Replies
- 77
Would be nice to remove Mahoney from the team and some extra carrots on the bench even putting Sexton on the bench to use as a utility rather than a replacement.. id like us to straighten our attack and start running players off hips a bit of 2nd phase under the right circumstances Burton doesn't belong in the centres and is invaluable as our 6
I agree on keeping Burton at 6.
Marhoney on the bench is to cover hooker in part because Haywood might need to cover other injuries/HIAs.
I agree on straightening the attack and on playing faster. Including some running from dummy-half, off 1 or 2 passes and on short sides.
The Manly game stood out to me for flawless execution of well timed passes on the edges. In that game our ball movement was impossible to defend. But it takes speed, execution and skill and trying to do it too slowly can lead to errors and it is easy to defend.
We still want some of that ball movement but at the right time, sometimes earlier in the set might be better.
IMO Galvin has improved our attack because he can dig into the line and execute a good pass. But he is mixing in some poor options under pressure usually the team has been too slow or too frantic before that taking time away from him.
Defence we can fix quickly, some players are just getting back to full fitness. It is all about energy, attitude and desire.
Attack could remain clunky or it could reach and exceed the levels of the Manly game at anytime.
To attack well we need to make the yards, King back to full fitness would help. Kiraz even at 70% will help. Toups definitely helps. But others need to step up and make the yards.
When we don't make the yards Burton needs to execute a good kick.
I don’t know why fans are so negative. I was more confident a few weeks ago. I understood that a lot of players were not right for the Roosters game. Sharks loss and performance is a bit harder to understand, but HIAs were a factor.
I still think that we might all end up being very happy after the Storm game. And even if we lose we get a second chance.
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With Foxy and Marhoney, money might have been part of it.
Perceptions about reliability, minutes, and role might have been part of it.
Our premiership window and young players might have been part of it.
Sometimes, a player and the club have different priorities.
Perceptions about reliability, minutes, and role might have been part of it.
Our premiership window and young players might have been part of it.
Sometimes, a player and the club have different priorities.
Critter will stay for less to captain the club, and play under Cirro.
The club will pay more for a leader like Critter.
That doesn't mean that a deal is done before it is done.
If moving on Foxy, Sexton, Morrin and Marhoney helps us to retain Critter, Woods, Galvin and Thompson it is well worth it.
When the 2 parties negotiating only disagree on money and conditions, usually a deal can be done.
Announcing Critter before the Storm game would be a valuable boost to team morale.
The club will pay more for a leader like Critter.
That doesn't mean that a deal is done before it is done.
If moving on Foxy, Sexton, Morrin and Marhoney helps us to retain Critter, Woods, Galvin and Thompson it is well worth it.
When the 2 parties negotiating only disagree on money and conditions, usually a deal can be done.
Announcing Critter before the Storm game would be a valuable boost to team morale.
I did think that Turpin could have started at lock and replaced Marhoney and Salmon. Turpin really impressed me one game against the Broncos, he spent the first 30 minutes of the game wacking a lot of guys hard. But might have got injured.
Salmon was really good against the Sharks, probably his best defensive effort of the season.
Marhoney makes a lot of tackles and has a bit better technique than Hayward. Marhoney starting and Hayward adding spark to the attack might work this game.
We are trying to win with defence this game is my best guess. So keep Marhoney and Salmon.
Long term I hope that Galvin or Todd turns into an 80 minute lock and we carry a single utility covering halves, lock, hooker and centre on the bench.
This season it is too late to make major changes.
In addition to Marhoney and Salmon playing i think Curran will probably start with Hayes on the bench replacing Hughes.
A big guy like Thompson who can play big minutes and an 80 minute lock can allow us to have a bigger forward pack in future seasons.
This game i think that we will be going with small and high workrate. Marhoney makes more sense when he starts.
Lots of rumours this game, some even think that Sexton might play.
I would replace Marhoney with Turpin, but we were going to do that, I expected Turpin to play against the Sharks.
Salmon probably can't play hooker.
If Cirro does something funky that is very brave. The media and some of our fans are waiting for an opportunity to claim that he is a dud coach.
Universal hatred of Parra connects 99.99999999% of the world's population.
I guess Sexton might be on the bench in case we need to move Burton to centre.
I am wondering if Kiraz and Hayes playing is a gamble that might not pay off.
And if by some holy water miracle we have the game wrapped up early, I would take Kiraz off early. If he has a needle, that sometimes wears off.
Sometimes a coach has to be brave and back his instincts.
Hayward apparently was a gun touch footy player in his younger days. I hope that he trys a few dummy-half scouts and some runarounds off a forward, Kiraz or Critter.
Aside from being very solid defensively, we need the odd surprise in attack.
I am wondering if Kiraz and Hayes playing is a gamble that might not pay off.
And if by some holy water miracle we have the game wrapped up early, I would take Kiraz off early. If he has a needle, that sometimes wears off.
Sometimes a coach has to be brave and back his instincts.
Hayward apparently was a gun touch footy player in his younger days. I hope that he trys a few dummy-half scouts and some runarounds off a forward, Kiraz or Critter.
Aside from being very solid defensively, we need the odd surprise in attack.