2019 Preview: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Sam Bourke is on deck with the third club in our 2019 NRL club preview series - the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

If you are going to do a clean out of your roster, then Canterbury put the broom, vacuum and pulled up the floorboards in 2018. The only issue was that new CEO Andrew Hill and new Coach Dean Pay had far too short a notice of the club's salary cap mess, which needed urgent surgery halfway through the regular season rather than at the conclusion. This process ultimately stopped them from making any inroads towards semi final football. Some heartbreaking decisions had to be made and it started with fan favourite and Bulldogs junior Moses Mbye being released prior to June 30 to the Tigers and hot on his heels was the release of marquee signing Aaron Woods who left the club after just 15 matches into a rich three year deal.

End of season injuries to star player Kieran Foran, winger Marcelo Montoya and in form Kiwi backrower Raymond Faitala-Mariner saw the majority of the clubs Round 1 NSW Cup team thrust into first grade earlier than most fans expected. While it took some time, the Dogs unearthed some diamonds in the rough, including rookies Lachlan Lewis, Rhyse Martin and Reimis Smith who announced themselves as the new breed with some sensational performances at the backend of the season.  

After a roster upheaval of epic proportions the Bulldogs enter 2019 with a new found enthusiasm after winning four of their last six matches, which was highlighted by a dominant 38-0 thrashing of the St George Dragons at Kogarah Oval in Round 24. While 2018 was in most ways a season to forget, the effort and skill of the young side with a hefty slice of their salary cap sitting on the sidelines for one reason or another, gave fans hope that the Bulldogs won't be struggling for long.   

The end of 2018 saw the exits of club stalwarts Josh and Brett Morris as well as Greg Eastwood, followed by an absolute hammer blow, with NSW Origin and Australian prop and 2018 Player of the Year David Klemmer requesting and being granted a release to join the Knights.  

2019 sees the Bulldogs in full re-build mode and expectations aren't as high as per usual out at Belmore. Canterbury have been active in the player market, investing in young guns Corey Harawira-Naera from Penrith and highly rated youngster Nick Meaney from the Knights. This sets the scene for a young side with a young coach, with nothing to lose. The Bulldogs historically have thrived when these elements come together. 

Why they will win it

The young Bulldogs finished 2018 with a wet sail, coming home late to win four of their last six games claiming the scalps of finals bound sides including the Warriors, Dragons and Broncos. Rookie five-eighth Lachlan Lewis came from the clouds to finish the season as a player to watch in 2019, and with premiership winning half Kieran Foran joining the youngster at the scrum base, Canterbury look to have solved their halves problem as they look have a much more creative outfit in attack and have some added steel in defence compared to last season. The Dogs have been a side struggling in attack for several seasons, but with the outstanding late season form of outside backs William Hopoate, Reimis Smith and Kerrod Holland, the Dogs lack of expectation makes them a dangerous side for any team under pressure. 

Why they won't

While their late season surge was sparked when they had nothing to lose, the season isn't played over 6 weeks. Canterbury has lost an almighty amount of experience in both their backline and forward pack and the enthusiasm of youth can only take them so far.  The loss of the highly experienced Morris brothers is a loss not to be underestimated. For many years they were the best defensive centre-wing combination for NSW and the amount of tries they stopped again and again for Canterbury happened in nearly every game they play together. Coach Pay has a huge gap to fill defensively and it looks as though the experienced Will Hopoate will likely fill the boots of Josh Morris, while new Panthers signing Christian Crichton will fight it out with Marcelo Montoya on the wing, allowing Nick Meaney the chance to make the #1 jersey his own. The outside backs have some mighty shoes to fill in attack, with both Brett and Josh again topping the tryscoring list for the club in 2018.  

The greatest loss though is undoubtedly David Klemmer, who led the competition in post contact metres averaging over 75m per match. While the signing of Roosters and QLD prop Dylan Napa is a solid replacement, he was more of an impact player at his former club and will need to improve dramatically if he can go close to matching Klemmer's 63 average minutes per game. Without Klemmer's go forward, non-stop aggression and engine, the Dogs simply don't have the go forward to match it with the premier packs of the competition up front. 

2019 Draw

Key Player

Kieran Foran is the player under most pressure at Belmore in 2019. Foran returns from yet another injury riddled season, but in fairness to the former Kiwi half he did show signs early in the 2018 season that his best days weren't behind him. As the Bulldogs marquee player, the former premiership winning half now has the weight of expectation in 2019, as this is his last season to show that he is still one of the premier halves in the NRL. The Bulldogs potentially have one of the youngest and most inexperienced spines in the competition if Pay decides to go with Meaney, Lewis and Lichaa. If the Dogs are any chance of making the Top 8 then Kieran Foran must be playing week in week out in 2019. 

Rookie to Watch

Nick Meaney joins the club from the Knights after being stuck in the que behind teen sensation and Dally M runner up Kalyn Ponga.  Meaney still banged down the door for selection in first grade by the end of 2018, playing 5 games and scoring 2 tries, as well as lighting up the NSW Cup with his speed and elusiveness from the back. The Ballina junior has signed with the club for the next three seasons and looks set to start in the coveted #1 jersey will the experienced Will Hopoate likely needed in the centres in Round 1. 

Player Movement

Gains: Jack Cogger, Nick Meaney (Knights), Christian Crichton, Corey Harawira-Naera (Panthers), Sauaso Sue (Tigers) Dylan Napa (Roosters) 

Losses: Josh Morris (Sharks), Brett Morris (Roosters), David Klemmer, Zac Woolford (Knights), Matt Frawley (Huddersfield), Lachlan Burr (Warriors), Greg Eastwood (Newtown), Asipeli Fine, Clay Priest, Josh Cleeland (Released)

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