After returning to the finals in 2024, Canterbury will be aiming to build on that in 2025 – and maybe push for the top four.
Season Preview
In what can only be described as a shock return to finals football in 2024, the Cameron Ciraldo-led Bulldogs have entered a new era. Many criticised their “small” forward pack and will point out that they didn’t manage to win many against top four teams, the stats prove otherwise.
Towards the end of the season they had the best defensive record in the NRL. They lost only in the last two minutes to the Storm in Melbourne, kept Penrith try-less in the second half in their Round 10 clash, and managed to close out some close games against fierce rivals such as Parramatta and the Roosters.
While there is no doubting there are flaws, the foundations are set for a push for top four honours. Several players in the spine had their best season to date and they’ve managed to keep the bulk of their rosters together while creating a dynamic junior system that saw them win another Jersey Flegg premiership last season.
The Bulldogs play eight teams twice in 2025: Parramatta, Cronulla, Gold Coast, the Sydney Roosters, Brisbane, St George Illawarra, Penrith, and South Sydney. Based on last year’s form, Cronulla and Penrith could be the most challenging out of that bunch. They also enjoy 14 seven-day turnarounds and nine six-day turnarounds.
If they can manage their injuries, they could be a genuine top four contender (finishing somewhere between third and sixth). They’ll want to show last year wasn’t a one-off, and their passionate fanbase will get behind them. They’ll also want to avoid another late fade-out (conceding 78 points in two weeks against Manly and North Queensland) that cost them a top four spot last season.
Best Signing
Sitili Tupouniua joins with a wealth of experience for the Sydney Roosters and Tonga and will add some more grunt to a forward pack that dominated many in 2024 despite their apparent lack of size (which coach Ciraldo labelled publicly as a “myth” observation). Local junior Marcelo Montoya returns to the club from the New Zealand Warriors and will battle it out for the wing spot vacated by the sacked Josh Addo-Carr.
Key Player
Matt Burton continues to go from strength-to-strength and stepped it up again in 2024. There’s no doubt that, as he enters his fourth full season in the NRL as a leading playmaker, he will once again be looking to elevate his game. Toby Sexton brings a presence at halfback that will allow Burton to grow. The Bulldogs will need another big campaign from their number six if they want to prove they’re the real deal.
Player to Watch
Much has been said about the Bulldogs’ forward pack and in their junior system lies some tremendous talent. Two such players are props Jack Todd and Jack Underhill. Both will be pushing for a debut in 2025. In fact, Todd was set to debut in 2024 against Newcastle until a fractured forearm put that idea on ice. Both young pups have been training in first grade and Todd is already a member of the top 30. Both are big, mobile, and have a tremendous workrate.
