The one word behind Bulldogs’ rise ahead of Warriors game, Stephen Crichton return, Sean O’Sullivan, Cameron Ciraldo

Hustle.

It has become the Bulldogs’ unofficial battle cry of 2026, and in a must-win match against the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday, it will be more pressing than ever.

Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

With Canterbury on the verge of re-entering the NRL’s top eight, after four wins from their past five games, forward Max King has revealed the mindset that is setting the side apart as they look to reignite the form that underlined much of their 2025 campaign.

It comes as the Bulldogs transform their attack from the second-worst in the league to the third-best over the past month, following a return of their trademark in-your-face line speed.

In this foxsports.com.au feature, King goes behind the scenes on Canterbury’s rollercoaster season, while NRL pundits have their say on why the Dogs are percolating at the perfect time ahead of a critical Warriors contest.

EMULATING THEIR PENRITH PERFORMANCE

The Bulldogs haven’t exactly held a mortgage on the NRL top eight this season, but there have been signs they belong there.

The side’s shock 32-16 win over an undefeated Penrith is widely regarded as the high-water mark in Canterbury’s season. Lachlan Galvin and Jacob Preston ran roughshod over a typically sound Penrith left-edge defence, while Matt Burton fired from five-eighth to pull the upset.

The Dogs went into the match coming off consecutive losses to the Knights and the Rabbitohs, and King believes it remains the best gauge of what Canterbury is capable of in what has largely been a ‘disappointing’ season.

“Coming into that game you know what type of team Penrith are and we knew we were going to have to dig the heels in and perform well,” King remembered.

“It was a great performance and it felt like we were back. But the biggest thing has been consistency: we went onto lose four straight after that.”

In the past five weeks, Canterbury have slowly found confidence in their attack amid highly-publicised personnel changes – particularly around their spine – not to mention a run of injury.

Stephen Crichton’s move to five-eighth has largely been deemed a success for the Dogs’ – especially in the short-term – helping spur a more integrated style of attack with greater involvement from fullback Connor Tracey and dummy half Bailey Hayward.

The one blight on their recent performances was a 40-16 loss to Canberra. It was here that poor execution, dropped passes and mistimed attack contributed to the side dropping to the worst completion rate in the league, at 71.8 per cent during the most recent four-week window.

Positively for Dogs fans, last week’s 32-0 win over the out-of-form Wests Tigers was probably the most promising sign yet that Canterbury has rediscovered a winning formula. Five-eighth Sean O’Sullivan is largely attributed for the win, orchestrating coach Cameron Ciraldo’s game plan with masterful communication and control.

Although Canterbury’s stronger performances haven’t come against top eight sides in recent weeks, King is satisfied with the consistency in their efforts.

“I know the Tigers have hit a rough patch in their season, but I thought we were great on the weekend,” King said.

“It was one of the best performances we’ve played. Both sides of the ball – both in attack and defence – there has been some great signs there.

“We have our own metrics of things that we value, but the biggest thing is that it felt like the old Bulldogs were back. There was hustling, there was in-your-face line speed, and defensively those were great signs.

“The shape we were able to execute was a lot better too.”

According to former Bulldog Michael Ennis, it is the improvement in the Bulldogs’ energy and defence which is underlining a return to form in 2026.

For him, the emphasis on this weekend’s Warriors game cannot be understated; if the Dogs can emulate their Penrith performance against another top-tier defensive side, their run to the finals will be strengthened.

“There’s no doubt that we’re starting to see that quality energy shift in their defensive line again. It was so pivotal to their improvement over the last couple of years under Cameron,” Ennis said.

“For the Dogs, the evidence is that their defence is as good as any when they’re on. It’s just whether their attack can be potent enough to upset the top sides in the big games. The thing that gives you hope is that they did do that against Penrith.”

THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE CRICHTON MOVE, AND WHY IT IS NECESSARY

There has been no shortage of commentary on the Canterbury spine, its inconsistent attack and where the side needs to improve.

Internally, the publicity has brought the Bulldogs’ playing group closer, according to King.

“It’s something that gets highlighted a lot: how’s our connection?” said King.

“If someone scores against us are we connecting, are we talking? Or are we by ourselves looking distant and lost? All those things. That’s probably a visible thing that you can see in the game, there and then.”

Bringing the Dogs playing group closer may well be an unintended consequence of season-long scrutiny, but pundits believe it is also a key reason as to why Canterbury’s attack is evolving.

According to Cooper Cronk, communication has been one of the key areas of improvement for Canterbury, and the reason why he believes captain Stephen Crichton was originally moved from his traditional centre posting to five-eighth.

“I’m not a part of the Dogs, but part of the reason I think they moved Crichton there is he’s their best communicator there. He’s their best leader, and he can communicate parts of the game plan to help Lachie Galvin,” the Fox League analyst said.

“The Lachlan Galvin-Matt Burton combination had all the physical skills, but they’re pretty quiet in terms of communication. I think they’re looking for someone to take a hold of the spine, learn the game plan and execute it to Cameron Ciraldo’s liking.

“Bailey Hayward is the number nine, he looks like he doesn’t say a lot. Connor Tracey is just an effort player, so they’re missing someone who can truly be an extension of the coach, execute a game plan and control the team.”

While King didn’t touch on on-field appointments, he said connection and communication had been constant themes under Ciraldo in 2026.

“There has been attention to consciously being connected,” King said. “We’re a tight bunch off the field and there’s not many people in the joint I could speak a bad word about.

“Everyone gets on really well. But when you get scored on and things don’t go your way, how do you respond? That’s probably been a conscious thing for us, is getting around each other.

“Nothing has changed besides consciously trying to do it.”

Crichton’s move to five-eighth has largely been considered a success for Canterbury – and necessary at this point of the season – but the Dogs’ long-term playmaking prospects remain clouded.

Pundits agree that O’Sullivan’s control and communication against the Tigers liberated Galvin to play a lighter, free-spirited version of his own game. Beyond 2026 the jury is out on whether Crichton is the best fit – his communication and leadership skills aside.

“I think that’s probably the one thing that they’re looking for is someone to take a hold of the spine and the game plan and execute it to Cameron Ciraldo’s liking,” Cronk said.

“Bailey Hayward’s the number nine, he doesn’t look like he communicates a lot. Connor Tracey is just a go getter and an effort player.

“So they’re they’re missing someone that can truly be an extension of the coach, execute a game plan and communicate the team around the paddock.

“It looks as though O’Sullivan is that guy. I think the best part of is Sean’s game and what he adds value to the Dogs, particularly with Lachlan Galvin, there is his communication and guidance.

“It just seems to allow Lachlan to be a bit more free-spirited and pick his times as opposed to do I have to make a decision for myself here or do I have to make the team decision?

“And for the balance of their team its Crichton and Burton in the centres. I think that looks good for them defensively.

“Crichton had some nice touches, but you’ve got to make your decisions not whether you can beat the Tigers, but whether you can beat the Warriors or Penrith. I think Stephen Crichton is the best centre in the world defensively; he’s a star and one of my favourite players, but I think he’s a better centre than he is five-eighth.”

TALKING PTS: Insane Walsh twist after Broncos switch; Wayne’s nightmare explodes

Meanwhile, the return of Preston and Kikau has helped reinstate the Dogs’ trademark line speed, a factor that will only be bolstered by Sitili Tupouniua’s anticipated return from injury in the coming weeks.

Opposing sides will need to be inventive and adaptive in attack in a bid to combat the Dog’s fast-paced defence, according to one of the best halves in the game.

“There are two parts to countering it,” Cronk explained. “One, you have to play a couple of short passes and make the team come up and back to try and catch them on the back foot. Or, you play a little bit earlier and get around them.

“There’s a reason why they race up and outside-in, as they don’t want the ball on the outside. So if you can theoretically get the ball on the outside there should be space but if try go around them too quickly its going to send you sideways.”

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AGAINST THE WARRIORS, AND HOW

It is now well and truly time to hustle for Canterbury.

Ranked 10th on the NRL ladder ahead of the weekend, the side has an opportunity to climb its way back into the top eight in the coming weeks, making good on their hype around the early parts of the season.

According to Cronk, it isn’t solely attack that will be required against the ever-consistent Warriors outfit, but a return of Canterbury’s stalwart defence. That signature hustle.

“The Warriors are going to be a true test of where the Dogs are at. What has happened before this weekend has been thereabouts but this weekend will determine whether they’ve got their mojo back and can play finals,” he said.

“I want to see a repeat of the Penrith or Storm performances. Take the scoreboard out of it, if they can get that line speed, defensive contact and really shut down the attack of the Warriors, that’s a good performance.

“If they keep the warriors to less than 10, I think that’s a good thing for the Dogs.”

If line speed and communication are the tools for Canterbury’s success, then Ciraldo remains a big part of why they will get there.

The Dogs’ coach has been heavily scrutinised through 2026, but behind the scenes, he has created a happy playing environment and has unwavering support from the play group.

It helps explain why, even under the most unrelenting spotlights imaginable, the likes of Galvin are unequivocal in their effort levels each and every week.

For King, who played for almost 40 minutes of the Penrith upset with a broken jaw, playing for Ciraldo and the broader group is the priority. The sweeteners, like a potential return to the Origin arena in 2027 or even a call-up for England in the upcoming World Cup, will come off the back of that.

“Cameron’s great,” King said. “He’ll tell you things straight up, he doesn’t sugar coat much. He’s an intelligent man, he’s a deep thinker of the game and he brings his way. Since he got here he’s brought his way and the boys have bought in and it’s shown in terms of where it’s taken us.

“The boys are all in, everyone loves Ciro. He always rewards effort – that’s the biggest thing about him, he rewards effort and he’ll never come at you and criticise you if fail or do something wrong if you’re going hard with it.

“It’s a great place to be in for young fellas to be in as well. Committing to the system, committing to the club and the team and what it’s about.

“There’s been flashes of a top-four team, and a lot of poor performances. We look to the next couple of games coming up and will be trying to put our best foot forward.”