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Such a disappointing way to end the season considering the start we had but like you said I think it will be a couple more years before we actually win a Comp.
Fans and the media get carried away in the good times and the bad times.

We might be a notch or 2 down on our form early in the season, but the Panthers and Sharks are 7 notches up.

Even at our best we are not beating the Panthers this game, but Xerri defending on the left would have helped.

We might as well hope for a miracle.

Don't worry next season will be better, even if the start doesn't seem to be as good.
 
I wonder if Cirro should have played Turpin instead of Marhoney, Preston at right centre, Curran at right second row and perhaps Hughes at prop, those were the other options.
 
We should have better options at prop, halfback and fullback next season.

I don’t think Kiks is 100%.

This game is a reality check, but it is not as bad as it seems.
 
Attack on the right edge was good enough that is where most of our points came from.

Left side defence was where we lost it.
 
Gus and Cirro are doing an excellent job. Most of our better players will be at the club next season and will learn something from this season.

As per the Sharks keep making the 8 is the initial aim.
 
Honestly don't believe Ciraldo knew what was going to work.. Burton/Galvin was the way forward.. Hayward shoulda started and a genuine centre/wing replacement was the play..
 
Honestly don't believe Ciraldo knew what was going to work.. Burton/Galvin was the way forward.. Hayward shoulda started and a genuine centre/wing replacement was the play..
Problem was we decided to shift Burton to centre.

I agree with Cirro, we lost the middle badly in the first half. Hughes or Turpin might have made a difference.

We will have a stronger side next season.

I think that I have seen Woods playing on the left in reserve grade. He is an option for left side half.

Sexton and Marhoney tried hard but more or less showed why they will not be here next season. At times Burton and Kiks are shaky in defence, and young Rinakama was a bit out of his depth.

Our left side defence was barely reserve grade standard, but losing the middle exposed that.

i think that the first Panthers try summed up the game, we were driving a player back in a 4 man tackle and that guy was able to offload. From that point onwards we couldn't come up with the scramble.

However, before the game started i thought that the side Cirro picked was worth a shot. We just didn't nail the start.

Panthers were that good with so many out injured we needed to be perfect.

We will never know what might have happened if Turpin and Hughes started. Next season Thompson will be starting.

I also expected more line speed from us and to put a lot more pressure on Cleary. When the opposition scores trys they have more posession. The key is to stop the trys.
 
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Lots of very good players joining the club next season and we have some talented young players in the lower grades.

I will not miss any of the players who are leaving.

Looking at the stats and the game, I don't understand what Salmon offers.

Curran or Hayes starting at lock might have been an option if Hughes started a prop.

If we want to win comps we need to be ruthless about improving the team, that sometimes means moving players on.
 
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I always say once a Bulldog always a Bulldog!! These blokes play hard and try regardless sure they are doing for their own individual career but generally come into the club and put themselves in harm's way for Bulldogs fans there's a sense of pride that adorns the blue and white and I believe every single player takes something away from playing for the club!
 
I always say once a Bulldog always a Bulldog!! These blokes play hard and try regardless sure they are doing for their own individual career but generally come into the club and put themselves in harm's way for Bulldogs fans there's a sense of pride that adorns the blue and white and I believe every single player takes something away from playing for the club!
I agree SAQ, I just don't like so called experts in the media trying to tell Cirro and Gus how to do their job.

I'm saying Cirro and Gus are right, even when the media tries to tell us that they are wrong.

I don’t mind Marhoney and Sexton getting a chance this game, there was a chance that it might have worked. Moving Burton to centre and starting Toups also might have worked.

Any other team that we might have picked probably would not have done any better.

I respect the service players have given us, but that doesn't blind me to their true ability.

Sometimes a player also kicks up to a higher level when leaving the club. If it isn't working out, sometimes a change is good for both parties.

In particular, I didn't like the criticism of Galvin and Hayward. As Cirro pointed out, pressure like that on young guys is totally unwarranted. Both more than answered their critics, even though both still have a lot to learn.

Why do people expect 2 young inexperienced players to win us the game, when other more experienced players barely make any impact?

Preston would be effective running off most halves, but many halves don't have the speed and anticipation to score the first try.
 
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The fans got their wish, and it shows why the fans aren't coaches. Sexton and Mahony were better off not even being there. Too many injuries was bad enough but over-compensation just ruined the plan. I feel for young Jethro but definitely out of his depth. 4 or 5 tries were scored because he left that wing position wide open for exploitation and To'o and Alamoti scored with the goal line unprotected. Burton showed nothing except that he is not a centre. Yes I am absolutely gutted, not so much for the loss but the lack of effort of some of the players. I also would love to hear why Ciraldo persists with Salmon. Some of his player choices defy logic.
 
ODF Jethro will be better for the run.

What probably happened was, we lost the middle and Kiks was dragged in to help,

Out numbered Sexton and Burton made different decisions and often missed the tackles they attempted.

Jethro was often attempting to cover 2 attackers.

Sexton jammed when that far out from the line we should have slid and tried to buy time.

Both of their wingers are hard to handle one on one.

Aside from the continuing selection of Salmon and the non selection of Hughes and Turpin, I understand the team selections.

I know fans are disappointed but IMO we have a good coach and if he made any mistakes, he will learn from them.

If not Turpin we need a mobile fit high workrate player in the starting line-up who hits hard in tackles.

We will have a lot more presence in the middle with Thompson starting.

I am not happy with our effort, players were trying, but we need some better players.
 
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Xerri at left centre and Critter at right centre are critical for our defensive system.

Otherwise defence starts in the middle, lose the middle and you usually lose the game.

Most of our bad loses the forwards have lost themiddle, sometimes really good edge defence can partially cover.

We will have better forwards next season possibility a better halfback and fullback.

If Burton plays centre he needs a good understanding with the half inside him.

If Burton is fit enough, shifting him to fullback might work. I am for adding Woods to the side as soon as he is ready. Woods/Galvin might be a great halves combination for a decade.

Or keep Burton at 5/8 and bring Woods in slowly.

Or shift Burton to centre on a permanent basis and work on building the defensive system.

Anyway there is a whole off season to sort that out. Just adding Thompson to the team should make a big difference.
 
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No surprises today. We need much better middles. We have needed much better middles for the last ten years. When we have better middles we can win the comp. Hopefully next year with another very good middle and a few young middles we win a finals game and make the pre lim.
 
Honestly don't believe Ciraldo knew what was going to work.. Burton/Galvin was the way forward.. Hayward shoulda started and a genuine centre/wing replacement was the play..
I don’t think we win today no matter what changes we make. We don’t have the team yet. But we have a coach that gets more out of the players we have than any other coach could.
 
I don’t think we win today no matter what changes we make. We don’t have the team yet. But we have a coach that gets more out of the players we have than any other coach could.
Yes that is how I see it.
Sexton and Burton seemed ok in defence against the Storm.
If they were fit, Critter and Montoya would have made a difference, especially both. We probably still loose, but it looks better.

I hope Cirro takes the time to review things in the off season. In these big games we lose the ruck and the play the ball speed is a mismatch. Better middles winning some of the collisions will help.

I think that there may be times when a big guy like Hughes is good option.

In addition to better middles we need a better halfback and fullback. Woods is the likely halfback, the only question is when. For fullback there are multiple options.

So 2026 should be better than 2025, hopefully we can take the next step. The only danger is players being deflated by this season. That is why Cirro talked up the second half effort.

It is important for the coach and players to stay focused and positive and for fans to stay patient and positive.
 
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Men against Boys.

It wasn't even a contest.

Penrith to go 5 in a row.
I have seen worse.

But we were beaten all over the park in the first half.

There were a few opportunities to stop a couple of their trys and keep the score to something that we had a remote chance of chasing down.

2025 was better than 2024 and it ended slightly better. But we ran out of steam a bit both seasons, there are lessons to be learned.

Our round 17 defence performance against the Panthers was much better, we were sliding and scrambling at the right times. This game some of the defensive decisions and the disconnect in defence isn't what I expect from a team coached by Cirro.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to shift momentum, at other times momentum is a runaway steam train. We didn't have a player on the field capable of shifting momentum especially after Toups went off.

Cirro will have more men to pick from in 2026. And we need more guys that hit hard in tackles and force opposition errors, that used to be a Bulldogs trait.
 
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