The Bulldogs’ showdown against the depleted Melbourne Storm on Friday night shapes as far more than just another pre-Origin game to keep die-hard rugby league fans entertained.
One way or another, this could be the moment that Cameron Ciraldo looks back on in years to come as a defining night in his coaching career.
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Now that might sound over dramatic given Ciraldo only signed a long-term extension along with Phil Gould last year that keeps them both at Belmore until the end of 2031.
But hear me out.
Because anyone who has followed Gus’s career long enough knows contracts mean absolutely nothing when results don’t go as planned.
And right now, the Bulldogs are in freefall.
What makes it tougher for Dogs fans to swallow is the fact that the club appeared well on the path to being totally transformed under Ciraldo, from finishing 15th to 6th and then 3rd last year.
But from top four they are now sitting 14th on the ladder going into round 12.
For mine, it makes it a legitimate question to ask if the Dogs are in fact any closer to winning a comp under Ciraldo today than they ever were under Dean Pay, who finished 12th, 12th and 15th in his three drama-charged seasons between 2018 and 2020.
And it must be said that Pay never received anywhere near the same support as Ciraldo has had working under the watchful eye of Gould, while Pay was also operating under far tighter restrictions at the time given the club’s salary cap restraints coming after Des Hasler’s controversial exit.
But in the fourth season under Ciraldo (and remember Gould returned to Belmore in 2021), the Dogs go into Friday night’s game coming off five straight losses, and their defence has completely fallen apart, while their attack is dreadful.
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Suddenly, a team that many believed would be genuine premiership contenders this year are staring down the barrel of a catastrophic collapse.
And if the Bulldogs can’t beat a Storm side missing Harry Grant and Cameron Munster, when exactly are they going to turn this around?
To have any realistic hope of sneaking into the finals the Dogs probably need to win at least nine of their remaining 14 games.
But lose this one and it will become almost impossible.
Looking at their remaining games and it’s hardly a walk in the park.
After the Storm, it goes Tigers, Eels, Sea Eagles, Titans, Raiders, Tigers, Warriors, Storm, Roosters, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Panthers, Broncos.
On their current form, you’d be flat out making a case for the Dogs winning even a handful of those games.
And remember, they still need nine wins to make the top eight cut.
What makes it more imposing is the fact the Bulldogs don’t look close to improving going on last week’s 36-16 loss to Cronulla.
While most of the outside focus has been on their attack, the most alarming part is how badly the defensive standards have also slipped.
In the last two seasons Canterbury built their resurgence on how hard they were prepared to work for each other without the ball.
They conceded just 414 points for the entire 2025 season _ the best defensive record in the comp, at an average of 17.25 points a game.
Yet this season they have already leaked 276 points, at an average of 27.6 points.
Across their current five-game losing streak they are conceding a whopping 36 points on average.
Bulldogs Coach Cameron Ciraldo is in the hot speech.Source: News Corp Australia
So much for the Dogs of War.
Which is why Gould’s comments this week were so fascinating.
Talking on Channel Nine, Gould conceded: “Internally there are a number of reasons for why we are struggling the way we are at the moment and there’s not much we can do about it.”
It was classic Gus.
Gould has spent decades mastering the art of saying plenty without actually saying anything when his intention is to keep everyone guessing.
But if you’re trying to decode the message this week, it should send a chill through Belmore.
For the last 18 months Gould has sold the message that the club was patiently building towards something special and sustainable under Ciraldo.
But suddenly they look to be going back to the drawing board shopping for a new spine.
They chased Luke Metcalf before baulking at the price tag.
Gould was then filthy when a photo was leaked of him meeting with Sam Verrills during Magic Round.
Now AJ Brimson’s name is being mentioned as a potential fullback.
That’s a halfback, hooker and fullback all potentially under threat.
And the Dogs have already shown how ruthless they are prepared to be when they think someone has become expendable.
Just ask Reed Mahoney or Toby Sexton.
Connor Tracey would know the pressure is mounting.
Bailey Hayward as well.
Dean Ritchie calls out Dogs hierarchy! | 06:15
And if Matt Burton wasn’t already nervous, he just got another reminder of how his future rides on where the Dogs end up settling on playing Lachlan Galvin.
But while the spotlight naturally focusses on the players, Ciraldo can’t escape the blowtorch either.
Fair or unfair, the buck always stops with the coach – just as it did with Pay, Trent Barrett and Hasler.
And while some say the Bulldogs overachieved last year finishing top four, missing the eight this year would represent an equally spectacular collapse.
Which is why Friday night’s game feels so crucial for all involved.
A win even against the under-strength Storm, and maybe the Bulldogs can convince themselves their season still has life.
But another loss and the noise already surrounding the club will only get worse.
Not long ago Ciraldo was viewed as the man who fans had faith in to restore Canterbury into an NRL powerhouse.
Now he is fighting to stop the club imploding around him as the Bulldogs faithful understandably grow increasingly restless.
‘Daley would be happy there is no Walsh’ | 00:48
ROCKSTAR THEORY SURROUNDING WALSH ORIGIN SNUB
Here’s a left-field theory doing the rounds about why Billy Slater completely overlooked Reece Walsh from his Queensland squad, and it is certainly hard to ignore.
The whisper is that Walsh’s rockstar persona may have ultimately counted against him.
Now to be clear, Slater has made a point of only stating that Kalyn Ponga deserved the No 1 jumper because of his blistering recent form.
But at the same time, that still does not explain Walsh’s shock omission from the extended bench altogether.
And the way it was put to me is that perhaps Queensland did not want to risk having Walsh sitting in camp for 10 days playing second fiddle to Ponga, especially given Walsh’s larger-than-life personality and how it could potentially disrupt others around him.
Origin camps are built on harmony and players understanding their role while keeping their egos in check.
And the suggestion is that maybe Slater decided Walsh was a gamble not worth taking if he was not going to be the main man.
Tallis reacts to Reece Walsh Origin snub | 02:03
What makes the theory even more interesting is the fact Slater’s close mate Cameron Smith also overlooked Walsh when naming his Queensland side last week.
That understandably raised eyebrows given Smith has taken on a leadership role with the Broncos this season and would have a strong understanding of Walsh’s current mindset.
Clearly, something didn’t sit right with either Smith or Slater.
Yes, Walsh’s form hasn’t been close to the level that saw him carry the Broncos to a premiership last year.
But in the fair dinkum department, he hasn’t exactly been going worse than Ezra Mam, who still found a place in Slater’s squad.
Historically, Queensland has always backed champion players, even when their form hasn’t necessarily warranted it.
Which is why the decision to snub Walsh feels bigger than form alone.
Arrow retires after MND diagnosis | 02:42
WISHING JAI STRENGTH FOR THE TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
The devastating news surrounding Jai Arrow just breaks your heart.
It is hard enough seeing anyone struck down by a cruel disease like Motor Neurone Disease.
But when it is someone still so young, so full of life and so deeply respected within the game, it hits even harder.
And watching Arrow’s emotional interview with Danika Mason on Channel Nine was genuinely difficult viewing.
Not because Arrow wanted sympathy, but because you could immediately see the enormous fight already confronting him.
Hearing him struggle through parts of the interview really brought home how relentless and unforgiving this disease can be.
Arrow interviewed on MND diagnosis | 02:20
And it instantly made me think back to last season when the Rabbitohs were battling through one of the worst injury tolls in recent memory.
But through that adversity, Arrow kept turning up.
Week after week he played with enormous courage and toughness, helping hold the side together when plenty of others would have folded.
That is what makes this news feel even more unfair.
He’s been a regular guest on NRL 360 over the years and away from the field and television cameras, Arrow is just the same bloke.
Tough as nails and just good company.
Wayne Bennett also speaks about the respect he has for the person Arrow is behind closed doors as a good family man and a wonderful teammate.
Now the fight shifts away from football.
All anyone can do is wish Jai and his family strength for what will be an incredibly difficult road ahead.