2022 review: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

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Bulldogs show promise but lack results

After an outstanding off-season, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs headed into their 2022 campaign with hopes of a first finals appearance since 2016.

A disappointing first season under new head coach Trent Barrett saw them claim the wooden spoon in 2021, but fans had plenty of reasons to believe their club was on the rise, with the signings of Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Brent Naden, Matt Dufty, Paul Vaughan, and Tevita Pangai Junior creating plenty of hype at Belmore.

After a low-scoring opening win against the Cowboys, it would take until round eight for the Bulldogs to add to their competition point tally when they caused a 16-12 upset over the Roosters.

Only a few weeks later, the Bulldogs parted ways with head coach Trent Barrett, and with just two wins in ten games any hope of going deep into the competition was gone too. Mick Potter was appointed as interim coach, and was welcomed to the role with a 36-22 loss to the 15th placed Tigers.

In round 14, Bulldogs fans were rewarded with something to cheer about.

Canterbury-Bankstown set Homebush alight, running in try after try against the high-flying Eels. The 30 point upset was backed up by a 36-12 win over the Tigers the following week, with the Bulldogs attack seemingly clicking in a way Barrett couldn't achieve.

Wins against the Gold Coast, Newcastle and Manly in the home stretch saw the Bulldogs finish 12th on the competition ladder. While their season has not lived up to expectations, it was a marked improvement on the wooden spoon effort of 2021.

Canterbury-Bankstown are continuing to build and strengthen their roster, with the likes of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney linking up with the club for the 2023 season.

The appointment of Cameron Ciraldo as head coach for the coming seasons has created plenty of anticipation for 2023 as the Bulldogs work towards becoming a premiership contender once again.

Turning Point

The resignation of head coach Trent Barrett following Canterbury's Magic Round loss to Newcastle.

Under Barrett, the Bulldogs were struggling for points. They averaged 9.6 points per game in the ten 2022 games with Trent Barrett in charge. In good signs for Canterbury-Bankstown fans, this changed drastically when Potter entered the scene.

The Mick Potter coached Bulldogs averaged 20.5 points per game in 2022, and the side became one of the must-watch teams in the NRL. Their brand of footy was unarguably entertaining, and while their defence left much to be desired the attitude at Belmore had seemingly returned to that of the pre-season - hope and anticipation.

Adding to this was the constant media speculation over who the next long-term head coach would be. Secret Gould-Ciraldo meetings dominated the sporting headlines, as the Tigers also attempted to secure the services of the Penrith assistant.

In August, Ciraldo was formally announced to have signed with Canterbury-Bankstown. The five year deal is a huge show of faith from the Bulldogs, with this to be Ciraldo's first head coaching role in the NRL. Potter is expected to stay on as an assistant coach.

What Worked

Jake Averillo's move to fullback.

Averillo started the season as a halfback, before shifting into the centres. He was dropped from the 17 on a few occasions by Barrett, and failed to find any particularly impressive form. In round 14, Mick Potter made the call to start Averillo at fullback. He was immediately rewarded for the decision, with Averillo running in two tries as Canterbury-Bankstown upset the Eels 34-4 in just their third win of the season.

Averillo would score another two tries from fullback in the following week's game, helping his team to a win over the Tigers, and consecutive wins for the first and only time during the 2022 season.

He would start at fullback in all but one of the Bulldogs' remaining games, and created plenty of highlights in the process. Named the Canterbury junior of the year in 2020, 2022 has shown why the club has shown faith in him throughout the past few years. Averillo capped off an excellent year with a debut for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII, playing 51 minutes off the bench in a resounding win over their Papua New Guinea counterparts. 

What Didn't Work

Trent Barrett. His short and disappointing tenure at the club came to a close before the halfway point of the season.

The resignation occurred just weeks after Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould backed Barrett as the long term head coach of the NRL side.

Whether or not Barrett has a future in the NRL as a coach remains to be seen, but with just five wins in 34 games in charge of Canterbury-Bankstown, a return to Belmore, in a minor capacity, seems well off the cards.

2022 results

Defining Players

Matt Burton arrived at Belmore as a 21 year old with very limited NRL game time in the halves. Moving from a premiership-winning club to the wooden spooners, Burton's arrival was a promising one for Bulldogs fans.

During the 2022 season, he started at five-eighth in all but one match, and was a crucially consistent performer in a tough season at a new club.

His bomb kicks would go on to become the stuff of legend, with rumours about NFL scouts showing interest circling mid-season.

While Burton made his Origin debut, his teammate and NSW incumbent Josh Addo-Carr was controversially left out of the Blues squad.

After a highly successful, perhaps career defining stint at Melbourne, Josh Addo-Carr arrived at Canterbury-Bankstown with plenty of expectation on his shoulders. And he certainly delivered, scoring 16 tries in 23 games, and providing plenty of moments of scintillating footy for the highlights reel.

Addo-Carr capped off his year with a successful world cup charge, in which he finished as the tournament's top try scorer.

Matt Dufty was a key signing for the Bulldogs last year, with the fullback joining the club from the Dragons. However any belief Bulldog's fans carried of him providing some solutions for Canterbury at fullback certainly didn't last long.

Starting the season as the number one, he played the first twelve rounds as starting fullback for Canterbury. Mick Potter dropped him to reserve grade, where he played just six games before signing with the Warrington Wolves in late July.

Paul Vaughan was another signing for Canterbury-Bankstown, adding experience and depth to their forward pack. He started every game of the season for the Bulldogs at prop despite also signing with Warrington mid-season.

Rookies

Jacob Kiraz highlighted the NRL debutants of 2022 with the Bulldogs. The 20 year old winger is signed with the club until the end of 2024, and showed plenty of promising signs in his first season of first grade.

Making his debut in round seven as a centre, he would go on to make 14 more appearances for Canterbury-Bankstown as a winger. He rounded out his breakout season with a successful world cup campaign as fullback for Lebanon.

Lock Kurtis Morrin is a promising 22 year old who also made his debut in the 2022 season. He is currently on a test-and-trial contract at Belmore, and his future at the club remains uncertain. Billy Tsikrikas is another vying for a spot in the top 30 at Canterbury-Bankstown. The 27 year old made his long-awaited NRL debut in round seven (alongside Kiraz, due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the club).

22 year old Declan Casey made three NRL appearances in 2022, including an 80 minute performance at fullback in his side's victory over the Titans in round 19. Having secured a contract extension until the end of this season, Casey will want to gain more first grade experience.

Harrison Edwards and Joshua Stuckey were some other NRL debutants at the Bulldogs in 2022, with their futures remaining uncertain. Veteran and journeyman Zach Dockar-Clay made his long-awaited NRL debut early in the 2022 campaign, but it appears that he and the club have parted ways for 2023.

Paul Alamoti and Khaled Rajab will both be eyeing off potential NRL debuts in 2023.

2022 player stats

Looking Ahead

After 241 first grade games, former Canterbury-Bankstown Captain Josh Jackson has announced his retirement from the NRL. He was contracted to the Bulldogs for the 2023 season, but the one club man will not suit up in the blue and white next year.

Jackson's spot in the forward pack will leave a hole in the second row which will be filled by Fijian international Viliame Kikau. Kikau is a huge signing for Gould and the club, with the Penrith premiership winner contracted to stay at Belmore all the way until the end of the 2026 season.

Kikau was first reported to be joining the Bulldogs back in November of 2021, and the anticipation of his arrival is high. Kikau has never played with a club at the NRL level apart from Penrith, so how he goes in an unfamiliar environment is an important question for the trajectory of the Bulldogs' season.

Leading around the forward pack from hooker will be Reed Mahoney. The 24 year old has just over 100 NRL appearances to his name, and just like fellow new recruit Kikau, he has never played for more than one club at NRL level.

Bulldogs legend Josh Reynolds returns from the UK to Belmore on a test-and-trial contract. Whether or not he can get elevated into the main squad remains to be seen, but his presence back at the club may just lift the team's spirits slightly

Rounding out the 2023 big Bulldogs news, Cameron Ciraldo will start his tenure as head coach. This season really could go either way for Canterbury, but a lot of the responsibility for getting the best out of their marquee signings will come down to Ciraldo.

Can he get his team to perform? Or will it be another year of disappointment for Bulldogs fans?

2023's best 17

As at time of writing

1. Jake Averillo
2. Jacob Kiraz
3. Paul Alamoti
4. Braidon Burns
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Matt Burton
7. Kyle Flanagan
8. Max King
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Luke Thompson
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
13. Ryan Sutton

14. Andrew Davey
15. Chris Patolo
16. Tevita Pangai Junior
17. Fa'amanu Brown

Statistics: Rugby League Project