24/06/2026
Moving season: Why Bulldogs are primed for surge up ladder
Day three of major golf tournaments is known as moving day and the Bulldogs have vowed to take the same approach to the NRL season as they look to surge up the ladder during the third quarter of their campaign.
After a disappointing start to the year that saw Canterbury slump to 14th on the ladder with just four wins from their first 12 games, Cameron Ciraldoās side has steadied the ship in the past few weeks.
Tight victories over Parramatta and Manly on either side of a bye have helped the Bulldogs stay in touch with the top eight and theyāre eager to make the most of a winnable stretch of games in the next month.
With the Titans, Raiders, Tigers and Warriors, along with another bye, there is a clear path for Canterbury to claim the full 16 points on offer from the third quarter of their season.
Should they pull it off, the Bulldogs will likely sit inside the eight leading into the final six rounds and have control of their finals destiny.
āI was chatting with a friend and if youāre not winning, people start talking about mathematical chances,ā prop Max King said. āWhen people start talking about mathematical chances, you know youāre not really a chance.
āThese games are important to avoid falling into those mathematical chance conversations.ā
Fullback Connor Tracey agrees with his teammate and said the players recognise how important this stretch of games is.
āWeāre viewing every game as a must-win,ā Tracey said. āThis weekend leading into the bye is another important game so weāve got to get a win this week.ā
Canterbury built their success in 2024 and 2025 on the back of an elite defence, however they have struggled to adapt to changes in the way the game is played this season.
That has seen the Bulldogs leak plenty of points throughout the first half of the year but the signs are pointing in the right direction.
Canterbury have conceded just 12 points in each of their last two games and Tracey can feel the confidence starting to rise around Belmore.
āWeāre a club that bases our whole game on defence and thatās been back the last few weeks,ā Tracey said. āThe last two games were the sort of grinding games we like to be part of and itās been good to get on the right side of them.
āThe confidence grows every week on the back of that form. Weāre putting in these performances and getting tight wins, we going to keep building and hopefully we can build to the back end of the year.ā
With the defensive foundation laid, the Bulldogs are eager to kickstart a sputtering attack that averages just 17 points a game.
Injuries to multiple key players have made life challenging, while the teamās power-based style is also not suited to the fast-paced style of rugby league in 2026.
Young halfback Lachlan Galvin has shown flashes of brilliance, but his combination with Matt Burton has not clicked as well as hoped throughout the year.
That saw Canterbury throw captain Stephen Crichton into five-eighth last weekend and the skipper delivered by landing the winning field goal in golden point.
Crichton has been named in the No.6 jumper for Fridayās clash with the Titans, with Matt Burton remaining in the centres as coach Cameron Ciraldo looks for answers with ball in hand.
Tracey said thereās no hiding from the teamās attacking struggles but heās confident their best is not far away.
āOur attackās been something weāve been working on for a while,ā Tracey said. āEvery week weāre coming in and working on our attack. Thatās something that will stay the same.ā
