Next Monday reserve grade are playing before NRL inspite of that I would like to see the following reserve grade players on the bench for NRL.

Gordon CKT, Dykes, Spinks.

My thinking is we need 2 specalist hookers, the experiment with Mann at hooker isn't working well enough. We might be able to play him at hooker in reserve grade.

My thoughts on the team if all of these players are fit.
1. Kiraz
2. Tuala
3. Xerri
4. Crichton
5. Rinakama
6. Burton.
7. Galvin
8. Hughes
9. Hayward
10. Thompson
11. Curran
12. Toups
13. King
14. Gordon CKT
15. Underhill
16,. Hayes
17. Salmon/Mann
18. Dykes
19. Spinks

I don't mind if Hughes only lasts 10-15 mins at the start of the game. This is a big pack of forwards all we need to do is, run hard up the middle break tackles and get offloads.

If we need to score points in the last 20 put Spinks and or Dykes on and perhaps Gordon and Hayward with Hayward playing lock.

Spinks can play left edge backrow, Dykes can play 5/8 or fullback. Any HIA to a half or back throw Dykes on.

The only way back for us this season is to become a dangerous attacking side that can score a lot of points.

Dragons beating the Broncos is unexpected.

Probably doesn't help us,

This has been happening for years and years teams just fire up against the Bulldogs and when they play other teams they get beat look at the Broncos reserve great side beat now they can't beat the Dragons . It's just something I think the club brings it on itself with it so much media attention . Next week the Tigers will probably get flogged as by the Panthers.

Lots of teams lose the week after they play us.

We dominate a lot of games, but often lose due to clunky attack and lapses in defence.

Last season the attack wasn't much better, but it was easier to win with grinding defence.

IMO Galvin is probably a future lock.

Burton isn't a proper 5/8!

Tracey and Kiraz are makeshift fullbacks.

We have good forwards, centres and wingers, we need to try to win with what we have. And I think we need to improve the attack to turn some loses into wins.

If we could make the 8 this year i think we could win a few games.

But i think Cirro will stick to his plan and we will not be able to rack up the wins required.

Longer term.

1. Dykes, Cocherane, Puru
6. Teapua, Dykes
7. Woods, Conti
9. Hayward, Young

These guys are young, but seem to be a lot better than what we have.

If Dykes and Cocherane don't work out at fullback, we need to sign a fullback.

We have a lot of good young halves and hookers.

I don't think we can win a comp with Tracey at fullback, we might just be able to win with Kiraz.

I have a lot if doubts about winning a comp with Burto at 6. We would need Burto to play 3 good games in a row.

With a makeshift spine, the only way we can win a comp this season is with a dominant forward pack. I think that we have the forwards, but the modern rules make this hard.

I would still like to see the team try to play similar to the 2004 Dogs. The modern rules make winning the collision more important.

But realstically this doesn't seem like it is our year, for lots of reasons. We don't have the right team, we don't have the right strategy and our ladder position has the season of life support.

If we miss the 8, I expect an end of season review to identify most of the issues.

Our good young players are getting closer to being ready for NRL.

I'm not expecting 2 bad seasons in a row, but I didn't expect this season to be this bad.

Fans booing Galvin meant most people including myself missed the play the ball speeds. By luck it turned into a great distraction.

V Storm.

Dogs 3.25 Storm 3.52

V Tigers

Dogs 3.57 Tigers 3.41

That isn't an accident, it is smart coaching from Benji.

Others have pointed out the Tigers deliberately conceeded some 6-agains early in the set to gain ruck dominance.

Most teams have been trying to slow down our play the ball all season.

Dogs are pretty good now at dominating the ruck without conceding 6-agains.

Against the Storm and Panthers we comitted the half and edge backrower to tackles in the middle before going wide.

It is no great surprise that Burto and Xerri absolutely carve up slow middle forwards or we can score when the opposition defence is scrambled.

But it is a mistake to spread the ball off a slow play the ball. Salmon getting the ball before Galvin usually slows things down. Salmon running off Galvin is fine, because Salmon has one of the faster play the balls in the comp,

Salmon hitting the ball up of Galvin might look like a rubbish play, but if he can get a quick play the ball, the opposition are under pressure.

Kiraz running off Hayward is even better becuase Kiraz can break the line and offload.

Kiraz and Hayward should be starting and we need a backup hooker and fullback on tne bench.

Hayward, Galvin and Salmon should take charge of our attack. Wait for a fast play the ball and the right match up before goung wide. Only give the ball to Burto and Xerri when they have time and space.

Hitting the ball up with middle with hard running players, play after play is pefectly fine, and the way we should be playing. Set up the shift by doing the damage in the middle.

Defensive wise our winger should be defending by attempting to take intercepts. Critter needs to stand wider and ensure he can slide to cover the centre.

Trust Galvin and the fullback to cover the half and backrower.

If our wingers are in position to take intercepts, they should be able to get to the winger and the centre or knock the ball down. Occasionally they might get an intercept.

Or if the wingers are going to jamb in on the centre, they need to get there in time. Essentially what i am saying is make an early decision to jamb or go for the intercept, jambing late often does nothing.

Overall, some teams have been getting better results from the winger staying just inside his opposite winger for longer.

I am sure our coaches know all of this. We did most things right against Penrith. We were very dumb for the middle 20 of the first half against the Tigers and totally outcoached because Tigers players followed Benji's instructions.

Equal play the ball speeds for both teams, we should win most games if we shift at the right times.

Dogs should get more ball to Xerri, us another one of the BS media narratives that our fans swallow hook line an sinker.

The media particularly Fox want the Dogs attempting to move the ball to Xerri on a slow play the ball, becuase they want us to lose.

Early in a set Xerri should roam in field and run off Burton, Galvin and Hayward. Even as a decoy runner he will be effective.

There we will ways of structuring our attack so that Xerri can play as a lock in attack. Especially if we have a second hooker on the field and Hayward is playing lock.

There will be ways of shuffling Xerri to fullback in attack e,g Kiraz moving to the wing,

IMO that could be the next stage of the evolution of our team, getting Xerri more involved in the middle at the opponents end.

McLean is an excellent replacement for Critter at Penrith, proof that being a development club works.

Penrith, Warriors and the Dogs have a very similar defensive system, largely invented by Cirro and Cleary.

Penrith are top of the table with PA 164, Warriors are second with PA 214.

Dogs are 14th with PA 328, in the bottom 5 and worse than the Titans.

Clearly the issue isn't the defensive system, playing injured players, misfiring attack, struggling with the 6-again rule and opponents in form are the factors.

Seems that we have finally got a handle on the 6-again rule, attack is covered above.

Playing injured players, team selection and bench rotation are the remaining issues.

We are walking the high-wire in relation to making the 8, Cirro has to get everything 100% right from here for us to make it.

The rest is desperation from the players, we saw plenty of that against the Tigers and Storm, but we need to be smarter and defend better. Both first halves were below par.

If we don't make the 8, the coach and players will know they need to learn from this experience and be better next season.

Even if we don't make it, i hope we remain a mathematical possability for as long as possible. Hope will keep the coach and players focused on the task and that is part of improving for 2027.

If the season started now and we had already learned all of the lessons we have learned, it would be more like the season fans were expecting.

If we don't fix the issue of shifting off a slow PTB, the season will end with a whimper.

We have done the right thing for 80 mins (Penrith) 40-50 mins (Storm) and occasional patches of 10-20 mins in some other games.

We did more of the right thing when Hughes was playing, becuase he did more of the right runs.

Our dominant starts were with Hughes and Thompson starting, we miss Hughes in attack and we missed King in defence.

Salmon, Hayward, King and Hayes are middle forwards who have the mobility to defend well on the edge. Toups and Curran are equally good on a edge or in the middle.

We need the offloads from King, Thompson and Kiraz and backrowers like Toups otherwise our attack is too easy to shut down.

To make the 8, these players need to play most games for the rest of the season. Kiraz, Burton, Galvin, Hayward, King, Thompson, Hughes, Tuala, Toups.

Injury is the other thing that could sink us.

We had the same issues in attack last season, but we were often able to strangle teams with our defence and grind them down. Occasionally Hayward a lock really helped our attack by moving the ball to the edges faster.

hd, what is your opinion regarding the rift in the playing group?. My opinion is that the issue doesn't sit with Galvin, I believe Crichton is the issue. That refusal of the captains challenge against Galvin was it for me. If one didn't know better it almost seems like Crichton is sabotaging the side, and if he doesn't have confidence in any of his team mates then he should address it with the coach, not screw the team during game time.

ODF my opinion is that any rift in the playing group is total BS.

Total non-events involving the Dogs are always blown up into a big drama.

No one likes losing, players aee unhappy, anxious and sometimes cranky when they are losing. That affects their ability to make good decisions.

Chichton is not used to losing, it is unknown territory for him, he has admitted he isn't handling it well.

IMO Benji exploited and highlighted our weakness. I am hoping that we notice. But we have been trying to shift the ball off a slow play the ball for 10 years, dumb, dumb, dumb.

Cirro, Critter and the team need to realise that trying hard isn't enough we need to be smart.

Hayward and Galvin are young and inexperienced, but they are both quick learners with a high footy IQ and some instincts for the game. Someone has to at least tell them what they are doing wrong.

Hayward is good at putting flat runners over the ad line, we should be doing a lot more of that 1 pass plays should be 30% of our red zone options. 2 pass plsys 20% Perhaps we should be doing more passing in yardage. At the opponents end, we should be doing more running and less passing.

We have big mobile forwards and our outside backs run very hard in yardage. At the opponents end, only Toups, Xerri and Tuala run hard, everyone else is standing around passing to a guy in a worse position.

We need to solve footy problems with footy, not with invented off field dramas.

When we do get fast play the balls at the opponents end, Galvin usually converts, he rarely misses especially when he goes into dummy half and throws 1 pass to a try scorer. That is footy instincts and he gets into dummy half to take the opportunity very fast.

Burto out the back is a great decoy, all teams are expecting him to get the ball.

Burto's apparent seniority is why we pass to him far too often.

If the players and coaches want to slience the critics, they know what the need to do WIN and keep winning.

IMO the players can't try harder, so the coaches need to be smarter.

Recuitment can't fix any problems this season, but we may need to add more depth in a few key positions for 2027-2028.

If I was a player or coach at the Dogs at present, my motivation to silence the critics would be extreme. And I don't just want to silence them, i want to destroy them, and help our fans to wise up.

I hope that the starting 13 isn't as named.

Happy with Curran starting at left backrow, Salmon at lock and Hayes back to the bench.

If Mann starts at hooker, I hope Hayward comes on after 20.

Montoya should only play if Critter is injured, and I expect Critter to play.

Spinks to replace Curran at left backrow late or when we need to score points.

Tracey on the bench to cover for Kiraz late.

Hayward, Underhill/Hopoi and Hayes all definately play.

Spinks or Tracey likely to be the last replacement.

If Critter is not 100% and we have the game won, I can see Tracey replacing Critter late in the game.

Underhill would normally need a rest, but we have the bye next week. 50/50 that Hopoi might get a run to give him some encouragement and give Underhill a rest.

If we can't beat Parra, we are making up the numbers, they have the worst points diff in the comp -150.

We have been finding far too many ways to lose, Mann at hooker worries me.

I expect Smith back at hooker for Parra, he will improve attack and defence.

I would be happy to drop Mann and play Readon at hooker, but that is probably just a fan desperate for a win. I doubt thst Reado Jnr has played thst position, but i know he would do a job. More speed and mobility than Mann, good defence goes with the surname, and his passing couldn't be worse.

Hughes and Todd back in reserve grade good to see these guys back.

Todd had a vey bad concussion injury most of the season.

Our injury problems seem to be easing, back up hooker is the biggest problem.

Toups and Curran can get the job done in the second row, Spinks is an excellent prospect.

Critter should be on the bench if carrying injury . Bring him on when needed .. It has affected his form . He needs a good rest . I will be surprised if they pick him for SOO..
NSW got out of jail big time . Changes will need to be made.

Yep they might start Montoya and put Critter on the bench.

Some chance NSW will pick McLean instead if Critter, Latrell is still injured.

Critter needs a big game to push his SOO chances.

Players signing things yesterday, players are apparently upbeat and optimistic.

I was too critical of Mann, he is doing a job for the team. Hayward is definately playing better starting from the bench.

I think we could extend Mann for 1 season mainly to play this role, he will get better with practise.

There are some rumours of Fletcher Baker going to Manly and a hooker going from Manly to the Dogs before June 30th. This is probably Zach Docker-Clay, but it might be a young unknown reserve grader.

The swap makes sense to me, Manly need more depth at prop, we need more depth at hooker.

Gordon CKT is progressing and may be close to NRL ready.

Young admitted he has modelled his game on Harry Grant and that his defence needs more work.

IMO Young is still plan A, but he will not be ready for NRL this year.

The players haven't given up, but we need to beat the Eels.