The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ recent coaching decision has left many scratching their heads, and I’m no exception. The appointment of Adam O’Brien as attack coach feels like a misstep that’s now coming back to haunt them. What makes this particularly fascinating is the stark contrast between O’Brien’s impact at the Bulldogs and the Knights’ resurgence under new leadership. It’s almost as if the Bulldogs have inadvertently highlighted their own strategic blunder by comparison.
Let’s break this down. O’Brien’s tenure at Newcastle ended with a wooden spoon and an attack that scored a measly 14 points per game. Fast forward to this season, and the Knights are averaging over 25 points per contest under Justin Holbrook. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ attack has regressed to the point of embarrassment, scoring just 18.1 points per game. Personally, I think this raises a deeper question: How did the Bulldogs justify hiring someone whose track record was so clearly underwhelming?
One thing that immediately stands out is the optics of this decision. As Braith Anasta pointed out, it doesn’t look good. The Bulldogs essentially picked up a coach who was let go by a struggling team, and now they’re struggling themselves. What many people don’t realize is that coaching hires aren’t just about skill—they’re about momentum, morale, and perception. The Bulldogs seem to have missed the mark on all three.
From my perspective, the real tragedy here is the dismantling of what wasn’t broken. Jason Taylor, O’Brien’s predecessor, had the Bulldogs scoring 22.2 points per game last season. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a foundation to build on. Instead, the club decided to overhaul their attack, and the results speak for themselves. Gorden Tallis hit the nail on the head when he said, ‘Their attack has been atrocious.’ What this really suggests is that sometimes, the urge to fix something can end up breaking it entirely.
Another detail that I find especially interesting is the Bulldogs’ decision to move Jacob Preston to the left edge. Preston and Lachlan Galvin had a lethal combination on the right side, but the club disrupted it to fill a gap left by Viliame Kikau’s injury. If you take a step back and think about it, this feels like a band-aid solution that’s only made things worse. The halves, Galvin and Matt Burton, are clearly struggling, but instead of addressing the root cause, the Bulldogs are shuffling their best players around. It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
What’s most concerning, though, is the psychological toll this is taking on the team. Anasta noted that the confidence and belief are ‘slowly seeping out of them every game.’ This isn’t just about tactics or personnel—it’s about mindset. When players start looking to each other for answers instead of executing, you know there’s a deeper issue at play.
If there’s one silver lining here, it’s the lesson for other clubs: Coaching hires matter, and they’re not just about resumes. They’re about fit, timing, and vision. The Bulldogs’ decision to bring in O’Brien feels like a cautionary tale about what happens when those elements don’t align.
As the Bulldogs prepare to face the Dolphins, they’re not just fighting for a win—they’re fighting to salvage their season and their reputation. Personally, I think this is a crossroads moment for the club. Do they double down on their current strategy, or do they admit their mistake and course-correct? Either way, the clock is ticking, and the stakes have never been higher.
