‘They’re obsessed with it’: Stubborn Dogs urged to adapt and change style as bad losses pile up

Amid a horror form slump, the Bulldogs have been urged to change their playing style and adapt to the modern game with the club’s forward pack coming under fire.

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Thursday night’s loss to the Dolphins was their fourth straight and sixth from seven games.

Moreover, they’ve lost their last four games by a combined margin of 86 points.

The shocking recent run have left coach Cameron Ciraldo and skipper Stephen Crichton scrambling for answers.

Following the 44-12 loss to the Dolphins, the lack of input from hooker Bailey Hayward was discussed on the Late Show with Matty Johns.

Hayward’s form this season and whether he’s a good fit in this Bulldogs spine has been placed under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Hayward had just two runs for 14 metres against the Dolphins but Johns defended Hayward somewhat, believing the club’s forwards should shoulder some of the blame.

Johns believes there’s a flaw in the Bulldogs’ style with the rule changes leading to a sharp increase in the speed of the game.

Momentum has never been more important.

“When we talk about hookers running from dummy-half, there’s got to be people doing work for them to scatter defenders to give them the opportunity to run out and at the moment, watching the Dogs this year, they’re so obsessed with sequence-based football,” Johns said.

If they can get back to the forwards running the ball forward, hit the line hard, even if you aren’t a big bloke, hit the line hard and quickly play the ball and things start to happen.

“You’re now playing momentum-based football.

“People will point to and say, ‘well they don’t have a big pack’, but the way the modern game is, if you can get momentum, footwork, speed and a lack of size can be an advantage.”

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Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh said that there’s one Dogs forward who can hold his head up high though, believing coaches should refer to Sitili Tupouniua in film sessions this week.

“They (Bulldogs forwards) should be taking note from Sitili and watching him. Yeah he gives away a few penalties here and there but he skittles the defensive line because he runs so hard, gets a quick play the ball and that’s when your hookers can run,” Hindmarsh said.

“He seems to be the only one at the moment who is running hard with a bit of purpose.”

Through ten rounds, the Bulldogs face an almighty challenge to fight its way into the top eight.

With just three wins and six losses, the Dogs are 13th and could fall even further down the ladder by the end of the weekend.

It’s a concerning slide given they were considered leading premiership threats last season and entered this year among the favourites for the title.

“Last year it was so good because they’re such a big club and an important club for the league,” Johns said.

“They’re frustrated. I hear them say it’s the outside noise, well that’s just part and parcel of being a bigger club.”

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