Rd20: 3pm Parra v Canberra GAME DAY THREAD @ GIO Stadium 19/7/25

[Gary Gutful]

I've been mulling over Stevie's assertion "The growth of the Dogs is the Cinderella story that should be the Eels" and it's really got me perplexed.

What exactly constitutes a "Cinderella story"? If the Dog's story is a "Cinderella story" then all Ryles needs this year to get himself on the way is two more wins and buy the best prospective 9 going round. So, we just need two more wins from Knights, Cowboys and Bunnies to meet criteria #1 of this "Cinderella story".

Then the following year we need to buy the best edge rower in the comp, the NSW centre, the QLD #14, a cast of all-round forwards then scrape into the finals and bow out first round.

Maybe Stevie would be better off posting Daft Punk music videos instead of his asinine critiques of our recruitment and his hack assessment of a pack of overrated media darlings.

Stevie is half cut for the most part. Just posts in between bottles of metho.

 

[Chipmunk]

Good point. JAC for Sivo has been such a step up, I absolutely love JAC's energy which appears to be a selection criteria for Ryles.

Iongi for Gutho no contest. Iongi hands down has increased our pace in attack and looks a great prospect.

Hawkins has proved a very good backup half, the best we've had for some time.

Jack Williams for RCG again has way more energy though could do with better hands.

TDS looks great so far.

I always thought Dylan Walker was underrated and he's proven to be a mid season bolt from the blue, out of left field sensational purchase who turned our club's fortunes around.

Lomax, even if it was BA's missus that sold the deal has been one of the best buys we've had since Moses.

So why are we running second last if all these blokes are better than the previous ones?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So why are we running second last if all these blokes are better than the previous ones?

Because we have a lot of players unavailable or out of form.

 

[Timana]

So why are we running second last if all these blokes are better than the previous ones?

Because other teams blokes are also better

 

[Stevie]

Stevie is half cut for the most part. Just posts in between bottles of metho.

That thought actually made me wince!

 

[Parrapat]

So why are we running second last if all these blokes are better than the previous ones?

For the same reason that the "Cinderella story" the Bulldogs were running 3rd last with one more win than us* at the start of round 20, 2023: we're rebuilding.

Also, we were without JAC for the first two rounds of slaughter and mayhem but when he began his campaign in round 3 we held the "Cinderella story", top of the table premiership heavyweights Bulldogs to a 3 tries to 2 loss. I recall the fairy godmother Ciraldo angrily scoffing at the journos in the post match presser asking him what he thought of his much vaunted defense letting in two tries to the designated shit team of the comp.

The Bulldogs started the season with their premier #9 Reed Mahoney firmly in place whereas we've only just got ours two rounds ago in round 18. Till that time, as my prior table demonstrates, Ryles was still sorting the wheat from the chaff when it came to his starting 9s.

Our sensational out of left field purchase of the brilliant Dylan Walker coincided with our first win of the season in round 5. That game, btw, was the 2nd last we've seen from Shaun Lane.

I could go on but hopefully you get the drift.

We're rebuilding and, though we do have some similarities to that "Cinderella story" Bulldogs in their first year under Ciraldo, ours has benefited from some astute mid season purchases by our recruitment team who get nothing but mudpies from some on here, most of all our wannabe motivational speaker who probably lives in his car, under a bridge, down by a river, Stevie.

*Dogs had played 18 whereas we've played 17.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

For the same reason that the "Cinderella story" the Bulldogs were running 3rd last with one more win than us* at the start of round 20, 2023: we're rebuilding.

Also, we were without JAC for the first two rounds of slaughter and mayhem but when he began his campaign in round 3 we held the "Cinderella story", top of the table premiership heavyweights Bulldogs to a 3 tries to 2 loss. I recall the fairy godmother Ciraldo angrily scoffing at the journos in the post match presser asking him what he thought of his much vaunted defense letting in two tries to the designated shit team of the comp.

The Bulldogs started the season with their premier #9 Reed Mahoney firmly in place whereas we've only just got ours two rounds ago in round 18. Till that time, as my prior table demonstrates, Ryles was still sorting the wheat from the chaff when it came to his starting 9s.

Our sensational out of left field purchase of the brilliant Dylan Walker coincided with our first win of the season in round 5. That game, btw, is the last we've seen from Shaun Lane.

I could go on but hopefully you get the drift.

We're rebuilding and, though we do have some similarities to that "Cinderella story" Bulldogs in their first year under Ciraldo, ours has benefited from some astute mid season purchases by our recruitment team who get nothing but mudpies from some on here, most of all our wannabe motivational speaker who probably lives in his car, under a bridge, down by a river, Stevie.

*Dogs had played 18 whereas we've played 17.

We haven't had one game yet, with our most likely 2026 spine....Iongi, Papalii, Moses, Smith, TDS and Walker.....while 3 of those, are in their first NRL season.......and 4 are 22 or younger....2 can still play flegg......there is potentially a lot improvement with just that spine, let alone other parts of the squad....

 

[85 Baby]

So why are we running second last if all these blokes are better than the previous ones?

Conspiracy

 

[Soren Lorenson]

That thought actually made me wince!

*mince

 

[Chipmunk]

Because we have a lot of players unavailable or out of form.

No more than last year.

 

[Chipmunk]

Because other teams blokes are also better

This is going to be the ongoing conundrum...

 

[Chipmunk]

For the same reason that the "Cinderella story" the Bulldogs were running 3rd last with one more win than us* at the start of round 20, 2023: we're rebuilding.

Also, we were without JAC for the first two rounds of slaughter and mayhem but when he began his campaign in round 3 we held the "Cinderella story", top of the table premiership heavyweights Bulldogs to a 3 tries to 2 loss. I recall the fairy godmother Ciraldo angrily scoffing at the journos in the post match presser asking him what he thought of his much vaunted defense letting in two tries to the designated shit team of the comp.

The Bulldogs started the season with their premier #9 Reed Mahoney firmly in place whereas we've only just got ours two rounds ago in round 18. Till that time, as my prior table demonstrates, Ryles was still sorting the wheat from the chaff when it came to his starting 9s.

Our sensational out of left field purchase of the brilliant Dylan Walker coincided with our first win of the season in round 5. That game, btw, was the 2nd last we've seen from Shaun Lane.

I could go on but hopefully you get the drift.

We're rebuilding and, though we do have some similarities to that "Cinderella story" Bulldogs in their first year under Ciraldo, ours has benefited from some astute mid season purchases by our recruitment team who get nothing but mudpies from some on here, most of all our wannabe motivational speaker who probably lives in his car, under a bridge, down by a river, Stevie.

*Dogs had played 18 whereas we've played 17.

The calibre of players the Bullodgs have signed since 2023 has nothing to do with their improved position on the ladder?

The calibre of player you previously referred aren't remotely close to the calibre of player the Bulldogs have recruited since 2023

Our current Wooden Spoon contender squad is no better than Bottom 6 bound for 2026.

 

[Matty Bhoy]

Edit - wrong thread. Fk the Milk

 

[emjaycee]

The calibre of players the Bullodgs have signed since 2023 has nothing to do with their improved position on the ladder?

The calibre of player you previously referred aren't remotely close to the calibre of player the Bulldogs have recruited since 2023

Our current Wooden Spoon contender squad is no better than Bottom 6 bound for 2026.

Dude, you really are a glass half-empty kinda guy, aren't you?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

The calibre of players the Bullodgs have signed since 2023 has nothing to do with their improved position on the ladder?

The calibre of player you previously referred aren't remotely close to the calibre of player the Bulldogs have recruited since 2023

Our current Wooden Spoon contender squad is no better than Bottom 6 bound for 2026.

Happy to be corrected, the only real players (ones playing regular NRL) that they added to their 2024 and 25 squad to improve on their performance (their 2023 performance is similar to our form this year) was Salmon (Depth), Montoya, Mann, Tracey and Curran (average NRL players), and Crichton (Elite) / Xerri (potential elite) - have rated them based on performance before joining.

Haven't included Galvin as they were already in top 4 before he came.

Their recruitment was decent but hardly a massive signing spree and top range players.

We have already recruited JDB, Walker, TDS, this year. All NRL level players. It's tracking ok. But will agree it's extremely unlikely we will sign a Crichton type player.

But I do suspect we are holding back some decent cash for a big signing, more likely a forward but waiting to see what is available. Along with a couple more dog level "average" nrl player type signings (for example interest in Garner)

 

[Gary Gutful]

Dude, you really are a glass half-empty kinda guy, aren't you?

If Moses is fit for the entire 2026 season then we are knocking on the door of the Top 8 without any further squad changes.

 

[the phantom menace]

If Moses is fit for the entire 2026 season then we are knocking on the door of the Top 8 without any further squad changes.

Yep, contenders for 6th-10th on the ladder pending impact of injuries.

 

[emjaycee]

If Moses is fit for the entire 2026 season then we are knocking on the door of the Top 8 without any further squad changes.

That's what my glass half-full view is as well.

 

[Chipmunk]

Yeah, but you were all predicting (in the Season Predictions thread) Top 8 finishes when I predicted bottom 4-6.

As Moses has missed most of the season, this is now a bottom 2 predicament.

I also predicted our season was over after 3 rounds in 2024 when Moses got injured, and there was a possibility he would never play another game with BA as coach. I seem to be the one getting the predictions right, because I just see things how they are without Blue and Gold goggles on.

At this stage, with the current squad as it is, it will be the same for 2026, bottom 6. Where in that bottom 6 depends how many games he gets to play.

 

[Stevie]

For the same reason that the "Cinderella story" the Bulldogs were running 3rd last with one more win than us* at the start of round 20, 2023: we're rebuilding.

Also, we were without JAC for the first two rounds of slaughter and mayhem but when he began his campaign in round 3 we held the "Cinderella story", top of the table premiership heavyweights Bulldogs to a 3 tries to 2 loss. I recall the fairy godmother Ciraldo angrily scoffing at the journos in the post match presser asking him what he thought of his much vaunted defense letting in two tries to the designated shit team of the comp.

The Bulldogs started the season with their premier #9 Reed Mahoney firmly in place whereas we've only just got ours two rounds ago in round 18. Till that time, as my prior table demonstrates, Ryles was still sorting the wheat from the chaff when it came to his starting 9s.

Our sensational out of left field purchase of the brilliant Dylan Walker coincided with our first win of the season in round 5. That game, btw, was the 2nd last we've seen from Shaun Lane.

I could go on but hopefully you get the drift.

We're rebuilding and, though we do have some similarities to that "Cinderella story" Bulldogs in their first year under Ciraldo, ours has benefited from some astute mid season purchases by our recruitment team who get nothing but mudpies from some on here, most of all our wannabe motivational speaker who probably lives in his car, under a bridge, down by a river, Stevie.

*Dogs had played 18 whereas we've played 17.

You’ve really latched onto my one comment about how the media has played out the Dogs rise calling it a Cinderella story.

Take a breath, carry on with your day.