The Bulldogs are set to undergo another season of rebuilding with the aim of laying a foundation for long-term success, rather than holding an expectation of an instant turnaround of fortunes.
With another mass turnover of the playing roster for next season, it will inevitably take time for coach Cameron Ciraldo to find his most effective combinations and the best positions for a number of his new signings.
While the short-term picture remains a puzzle, the Bulldogs overall have made moves to build internally for their future, signing up former players to coach their junior pathways teams and also working with the Canterbury Leagues Club to provide a new subsidy to help cover registration fees for their junior base.
NRL.com examines the key talking points for the Bulldogs as they launch into the 2024 pre-season.
Will the forward pack’s lack of depth come back to bite?
Arguably the most active club on the player market for 2024 with 10 players coming into the squad following the signing of Connor Tracey and eight departing, how coach Cameron Ciraldo plans to make sense of his signings will be interesting to see. The club have brought in a number of accomplished players, but still have an issue with their overall depth, including having co-captain Reed Mahoney and the incoming Jake Turpin the only genuine number 9s, coupled with a lack of experienced props. While utilities Drew Hutchison and Kurt Mann – who were announced as 2024 signings alongside Turpin on the same day – can both play in the dummy half role, arguably that’s not their best position. The most capped players in the front row are Ryan Sutton with a useful 88 games with Liam Knight is just behind him on 81, while Max King – who is listed as a lock – has played 97 NRL games and spent the 2023 season at prop and will likely take a starting role again. However, the club will otherwise be relying on inexperienced youngsters in their engine room.
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