Bulldogs Coach Laments Players for ‘Letting Blokes Like Burto Down’ Following Staggering Defeat to Dolphins

Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo expressed his disappointment vehemently after his side suffered a heavy defeat against the Dolphins, ending the match 44-8.

Ciraldo was notably frustrated as his top-placed team committed 16 errors and allowed 33 missed tackles while battling through the heavy rain in Western Sydney.

Up until the last 20 minutes, the match remained competitive, but the Redcliffe side capitalised, scoring four converted tries that left the Bulldogs in tatters.

The Bulldogs were undermanned, missing up to 11 players due to injuries, suspensions, and State of Origin commitments.

Despite the patchwork roster, which had seen the Bulldogs pull off two significant comeback victories over the Raiders and Roosters in the previous weeks, Ciraldo dismissed any notion that fatigue or personnel shortages played a role in the defeat on Thursday.

“No… we should have performed better than that,” he stated heatedly.

“You simply cannot have 16 errors and make such poor decisions… fatigue is not an excuse here.

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“We need to stop worrying about (referee) calls; we didn’t earn the right to win.

“The conditions were tough, but the Dolphins adapted considerably better than we did. They outplayed us in every facet of the game, and that’s disappointing.

“Many players had the chance to prove themselves tonight, and I believe they will learn from this experience.”

With a number of key players unavailable, the likes of Blake Taaffe, Lipoi Hopoi, Jake Turpin, and Luke Smith were tasked with stepping into the breach.

While Ciraldo refrained from singling anyone out, he hinted that a few players had strayed from the game plan.

“I thought (Matt Burton) was exceptional, but there were others in the squad who possibly let him down,” he remarked.

“We need to analyse why that occurred.”

The beleaguered Bulldogs will enjoy a bye in round 13.