‘We’re playing like a top-four team’: Bulldogs coach
Jasper Bruce |
Cameron Ciraldo believes Canterbury are playing like a top-four team, and the Bulldogs’ defensive numbers back up his confidence.
Eighth on the ladder to begin the weekend, Canterbury have revitalised their defence and risen from the bottom four with six wins from seven starts.
In that time, the Bulldogs have conceded an average of 14.9 points per game, compared to 31.7 across their seven matches before that.
Premiership favourites Penrith – this year’s best defensive side by the numbers – have leaked 15.6 points on average across their own last seven games.
In fact, of the 11 teams still in finals contention, only the third-placed Warriors (14) and fourth-placed Cronulla (13.9) have conceded fewer points than the Bulldogs over their past seven matches.
“There were some things at the start of the year that we didn’t get right, but over the last 10 weeks, we feel like we’re back to playing like a top-four team,” said Bulldogs coach Ciraldo.
“We feel like we’ve been pretty consistent through that time. That’s all we can ask for.”
Penrith’s premiership-winning former defence coach, Ciraldo helped the Bulldogs become the NRL’s best defensive side en route to a top-four finish last year.
Ciraldo said the return of injured players had helped the Bulldogs bolster their defence at training in recent weeks.
Viliame Kikau, Jacob Preston, Leo Thompson and Stephen Crichton were among those sidelined earlier in the year, but Sitili Tupouniua’s comeback from a hamstring injury means the Bulldogs are close to full strength for round 23.
“The intensity of our training (earlier in the year) was hampered by guys that were modified and guys that had to get needled on the weekend just to get on the field,” Ciraldo said.
“Last year, we were the best defensive team across the course of the season, and I think in the last couple of months, we’ve started to get back to our best in that regard.”
The Bulldogs’ defence is in for its biggest test of recent weeks against the Sydney Roosters this Friday.
The Roosters scored the most points of any team in 91 years thrashing North Queensland 82-12 last Thursday.
“We’ve been talking all week that we’ll need to be at our best defensively,” Ciraldo said.
The Bulldogs will need to win at least three of their remaining five regular-season games to play finals.
Friday’s clash against the Roosters and another against Penrith are their toughest assignments.
“We’ve got an opportunity over the next five weeks to make sure we get it right and we put ourselves in finals contention but that’s all next week,” Ciraldo said.
“Right now, we’ve got a game in 24 hours.”
AAP