From the Couch: Canterbury Bulldogs Season Review

Win-Loss: 14-10
Ladder Position: 6th
Finals: Elimination Final
Attack: 22.04 (10th)
Defence: 18.04 (2nd)
Longest Win Streak: 5 (Round 21-25)
Longest Loss Streak: 3 (Round 26-Elimination Final)
Best Win: R21: 41-16 at Brisbane
Worst Loss: R27: 44-6 v North Queensland

Season Review

Highlights: The Bulldogs were the fairytale team of 2024, ending seven long and torturous years of misery with a fifth-placed finish few saw coming.

The return to finals football was an injection for the league who were pleased to see one of the biggest clubs in Sydney return to the semis.

There were mixed reviews about the extensive recruitment drive but for the most part it worked out with Crichton and Tracey starring and Curran, Mann and Xerri excellent.

Seeing such a marked improvement in defence was completely unexpected but seeing the Bulldogs be able to put on points was a rare treat not seen in a decade – they scored over 30 eight times.

The Bulldogs reached 30 points eight times between 2019 and 2023.

Wins over the Roosters, Knights and Sharks were rare wins over finals teams while they knocked over rivals the Eels and Dragons and thumped the Broncos.

Lowlights: While Canterbury’s return to finals football was wonderful for the club, the faithful were left devastated with the limp end to the season including a disappointing Week 1 finals loss.

Cameron Ciraldo’s attachment to a number of underperforming/poor fit players was a costly problem.

While he moved on from Blake Taafe and Drew Hutchison quick enough, his persistence with Jaeman Salmon proved devastatingly costly.

Disappointing performances from Josh Addo-Carr, Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney hurt.

What Worked: The roster overhaul, while there were exceptions, was an overall success with the new crop of players buying into Cameron Ciraldo’s vision far more than those let go.

Stephen Crichton was a brilliant signing but the decision to make him skipper was a turning point in the club’s fortunes.

Few teams have improved defensively as quickly as the Bulldogs did.

The Bulldogs ranked third in possession percentage so did well at winning possession though remarkably ranked third worst in set completion.

Canterbury ranked third in supports, a marked improvement in an effort area missing last year.

What Didn’t: While Canterbury were a team that did not break defensively, they sure did bend a lot with tackling a major concern.

No team missed more tackles than Canterbury.

The Bulldogs ranked bottom four in dummy half runs with Reed Mahoney primarily ineffective in attack.

Goalkicking was a debacle – the Bulldogs ranked fourth worse in kicking percentage.

Betting Stats

ATS: 15-10
Over/Under: 9-16
Head-to-Head Return: +3.33 units

Three Betting Notes:

• The Bulldogs were tied with the Knights and Dragons for the second most unders in 2024 with 16.
• The under was 14-6 when the Bulldogs played in NSW.
• Canterbury went 10-4 against the spread when an underdog.

Personnel

Best Player: Stephen Crichton
Next Best: Jacob Kiraz, Matt Burton
Most Disappointing Player: Jaeman Salmon
Next Most Disappointing: Viliame Kikau, Drew Hutchison
Top Tryscorer: Jacob Kiraz (12)
Top Assist Merchant: Matt Burton, Reed Mahoney (12)
Top Tackle Breaker: Jacob Kiraz (4.50 per game)
Top Metre Eater: Jacob Kiraz (189.71m per game)
Top Tackler: Reed Mahoney (49.08 per game)
Best Buy: Stephen Crichton
Worst Buy: Jaemon Salmon
Best Rookie: Harry Hayes

Player Ratings