The Bulldogs’ attacking woes have been brought into focus after a mixed start to the season with question marks emerging over halfback Kyle Flanagan’s ability to lead the team.
Cameron Ciraldo’s side have gone 2-2 to start the season with Flanagan struggling to gel with new recruit Reed Mahoney and fellow playmaker Matt Burton.
The 24-year-old has recorded just a single assist despite averaging 45 possessions per game, just five shy of Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds who has five try assists.
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Bulldogs great Braith Anasta said his former club needed “more creativity” out of Flanagan.
“The Dogs have come a long way and have improved out of sight,” he said on NRL360.
“They’ve got the foundation in terms of their defence and getting into good field position, but when it comes to the attacking zone they have a lack of options.”
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent agreed.
“They get up that end of the field okay and then when the defence gets their back against the try line the Bulldogs have this habit of going across one side of the field and then across the other side of the field,” he said.
“They can’t come up with the plays to penetrate them”.
“I don’t want to be critical of Flanagan,” Anasta replied. “I think he has the ability to take the line on. I think he has the ability to go into the line and create space and opportunities I just haven’t seen it yet.”
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“There’s a lot of expectation of Burton but there’s nothing happening between Mahoney and Burton so (the opposition) can double team Mahoney and double team Burton.
“And they are getting no creativity out of their No.7 at the moment.”
Anasata’s comments came after Panthers legend Greg Alexander raised fears Burton was being asked to do too much. Alexander, speaking ahead of the Bulldogs’ Round 4 loss to the Warriors, also questioned whether Ciraldo needs to make an early-season call on his halves pairing.
“I did say through the (Round 3) game that the pressure on Matt Burton is increasing as the season gets longer for him to do everything,” Alexander said on SEN Radio.
“He is the runner, the kicker, he looks like he is organising. In terms of threatening the line, if you’re not getting help from somewhere else [it makes it difficult].
“Hayze Perham is a runner not a passer, whereas Kyle Flanagan is a passer not a runner. Matt Burton is trying to do a bit of everything and I think the load is too big on him.
“Do the Bulldogs bite the bullet and put Karl Oloapu in? Maybe.”
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Oloapu has been on fire in reserve grade since joining from the Broncos in the off-season. In his most recent outing he scored a try and made a line break along with racking up 24 tackles.
He is viewed by many as Burton’s long-term halves partner casting further doubt over the future of Flanagan who is in the final year of his deal.
Kent said Flanagan has ultimately suffered from a rule change brought in just as he was finding his feet.
“The worst thing that happened to Kyle Flanagan was the six again rule because it brought back more ad-lib footy whereas he played structure very well,” he said.
“All his formative years in junior footy the game was highly structured. By the time he got to first grade, he had only just begun to crack the level, the game changed. He’s struggled to adapt to that.
“Every now and then he falls back into his old habits of just playing structure.”
Flanagan has been named at No.7 to take on the Cowboys in Round 5.
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