The Bulldogs head into Thursday night’s clash with the Parramatta Eels after a six day break following defeat by the Warriors.
Currently positioned 13th on the NRL ladder, the Bulldogs clash with arch rivals the Eels is a must win and if there is a club who can deliver at a time of adversity, it’s the Dogs.
The club has built a reputation as the ‘Dogs of War’, but despite the losses, Head Coach Des Hasler knows there is plenty of confidence and self-belief within his side.
"I'm pretty fortunate there's great self-belief in this team. While they might be in a run of losses, you certainly can't deny the effort and commitment to what they've been doing. Our biggest area of improvement that we need to work on is our execution and our finesse. We need to capitalise on it to turn those close games into wins,” said Hasler.
There are ten Rounds left in the season and with the competition being so tight, Hasler believes the side needs to begin to get on a winning run.
“We just need to get back into the winning run. We play well, create some momentum and then next week we let it go again. We need to get on a winning run, definitely,” Hasler added.
The Bulldogs were dealt a blow early in the week when news came through that both James Graham and Greg Eastwood would be missing for a period of time with injury, but Hasler is confident the depth within the squad can fill the roles of both players.
“To be without James Graham and Greg Eastwood is always going to make it a bit tougher, but the players will come in and I thought Danny Fualalo was fantastic last week. Francis Tualau will get another opportunity as well. There is great belief in this side and those players will come in and do a great job,” Hasler said.
Meanwhile, the Eels come into tomorrow’s fixture at ANZ Stadium fresh off the bye and for Hasler, the danger for the home side lies within their backline.
"(Corey) Norman certainly gives them a lot of prowess, certainly with their kicking game. It's something we're really conscious of, particularly near our try-line. But I've been particularly impressed with their back five and Clint Gutherson back at one. He's always been a really good player, but the way he's grown this year, he's really turning into a consistent first-grader,” he added.
