As the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs navigate the 2026 season, questions are arising about their ability to contend for the premiership.
NRL veterans Chad Townsend and Ryan Hoffman have expressed their concerns, pointing specifically to mentality and attitude as factors contributing to the team's erratic performance.
"The Bulldogs are concerning for me because with their roster, they should be doing a hell of a lot better than what they are," Hoffman commented on 'The Boardroom'.
Currently, the Bulldogs are positioned 10th on the ladder, having suffered four defeats in their first seven games, a record characterized by inconsistency.
A notable win against the Penrith Panthers, marking their first loss of the year, was swiftly overshadowed by a disappointing 18-point loss to the injury-plagued Parramatta Eels.
Townsend echoes the sentiment that inconsistency is a critical challenge for the Bulldogs.
"For me, I think the Bulldogs have underperformed so far this season, and I am not sure what it is," Townsend admitted.
"But just the inconsistency over the past two weeks and the inability to get up and get the job done against the Parramatta Eels, a team that we know has been decimated by injury and long-term injuries."
He added, "Then again, on the Broncos this past weekend, against another team, you know, without some of their big-name players. No Payne Haas, no Reece Walsh, no Pat Carrigan, but no worries for the Brisbane Broncos. It was a great defensive performance by them."
"But it does beg the question around the Bulldogs. Are they contenders or are they pretenders?"