There are no two ways about it - the Canterbury Bulldogs fade out at the end of the 2025 season means the pressure is on coming into the new year.
After spending much of the first half of 2025 at the top of the table, the signing of Lachlan Galvin, changes to the spine and other factors saw the Bulldogs fail to host a qualifying final.
That left them with a tricky trip to Melbourne, where they fell short, before promptly being knocked out the following week against the Penrith Panthers.
It was far from a straightforward finals series, but the lingering question out of the season for the Belmore-based club, frankly, is “what might have been”.
The same selection questions linger over 2026 despite the departure of Toby Sexton, while new faces, and the performance of some, as well as rookies ready to breakout, will create extra head-scratchers for Cameron Ciraldo as he looks to coach the blue and white to a premiership.
Is Bailey Hayward an 80-minute dummy half?
Those questions continue into the number nine jumper.
Galvin copped all the blame for Canterbury's downward spiral during the second half of 2025, but the non-selection of Reed Mahoney at hooker had a role to play as well.
He is now in Townsville with the North Queensland Cowboys where he will look to launch a new stage of his career, with utility Bailey Hayward likely to take over at dummy half.
He isn't the first utility the Bulldogs have attempted to mould into a hooker. They did the same with Jeremy Marshall-King a number of years ago, who is now going along very nicely at the Dolphins.
But Hayward isn't an 80-minute player. Not yet at least, particularly in defence where he simply misses too many tackles.
Canterbury have the likes of Kurt Mann and Jaeman Salmon expected to feature in their match day 17 who could spend some minutes at dummy half, but depth looks tpo be an issue. As it stands, the yet to debut Patrick Young is the only other recognised dummy half in the Top 30.
Kade Dykes. Two matches in four years with the Sharks.
He’s a cheap depth player, not a candidate for a starting role in first grade.
If Leo Thompson is signed for that much, then he should start and live up to what our club is paying him.