LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Former NRL premiership winner Jamie Soward believes the Canterbury Bulldogs, despite facing injuries to key players such as Viliame Kikau and Matt Burton, will be able to overcome these setbacks in the coming weeks.
The Bulldogs have started the season with two wins out of two games, defeating the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Gold Coast Titans.
However, Soward pointed out a concerning trend of the team switching off during games, which could pose a problem moving forward.
Speaking on Zero Tackle's The Offload Podcast, Soward expressed confidence in the Bulldogs' squad depth to cover for the injured players, stating, "I think the troubling thing for me with the Dogs is that they played at Belmore, got off to that cracking start, then they switched off like they did against the Dragons." He emphasized the need for the team to address defensive lapses and improve their ability to maintain intensity for the full 80 minutes of a game.
The injuries to Kikau and Burton, both sustaining knee injuries in the Round 2 match, are expected to sideline them for a month.
Despite this setback, Soward believes the Bulldogs have the resources to navigate through this challenging period.
The team will need to rely on other players to step up in the absence of key contributors and work on tightening up their defensive efforts to remain competitive in upcoming matches.
Overall, Soward's assessment highlights the Bulldogs' potential to overcome their injury issues, but also underscores the importance of addressing their tendencies to switch off during games.
With a strong start to the season, the Bulldogs will look to maintain their winning momentum and make necessary improvements to ensure success in the face of adversity.