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NRL Notepad: Round 5 Preview
The Notepad breaks down what is important heading into the upcoming round of the 2026 NRL Season.
Jason Oliver
April 02, 2026
What's on the watchlist this week?
Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
What Can Change For The Bulldogs In Attack?
Right now, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are playing with the worst attack in the NRL averaging just 15 points per game.
| # | Club | Games | Pts/Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panthers | 4 | 35.0 |
| 2 | Storm | 4 | 34.0 |
| 3 | Warriors | 4 | 33.5 |
| Ranks 4–14: Wests Tigers · Rabbitohs · Knights · Sharks · Dolphins · Eels · Cowboys · Roosters · Sea Eagles · Broncos · Dragons — View full table ↗ | |||
| 15 | Raiders | 4 | 16.8 |
| 16 | Titans | 4 | 15.5 |
| 17 | Bulldogs | 3 | 15.0 |
Cameron Ciraldo responded to their struggles with the ball by swapping Stephen Crichton and Matt Burton in the second half in Round 4. While it produced points, it didn’t look like a long-term solution to their problems. Instead, it perhaps offered some insight into how the Bulldogs will look to improve in the coming weeks.
The head coach made it clear what needs to happen for the Bulldogs to get the most out of their most dangrous attacking weapons when speaking after the match.
“We need Critta (Crichton) getting the ball in his hands. So we needed him to get in and be closer to the action and try to manage the energy of both Burto (Burton) and Critta.
“I thought he showed some great signs, when he got closer to the action and got the ball in his hands and we looked a bit more dangerous there.”
So, what might that look like?
We shouldn’t expect the straight swap too often. While Crichton has trained at five-eighth and Burton is experienced in the centres, chopping and changing halves rarely produces good results long team. Instead, the Bulldogs can find different ways to get Crichton on the ball from left centre.
