They may be sitting stone motherless last on the ladder but Canterbury still warrant respect for Dragons lock Jack de Belin, who's been on the wrong end of a Bulldogs ambush on more than a few occasions in his career.
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While their 5-5 head-to-head record over their last 10 games doesn't make for awful reading, the Bulldogs have made a habit of producing an upset when the Dragons can least afford it.
The Dogs were running last with just one win to their name when they put a 28-6 beating on the Dragons in round 14 last season, while a 22-2 loss Canterbury in round four of the 2020 season was the beginning of the end for former coach Paul McGregor.
The Bulldogs were running 13th and well out of finals contention when they denied the Dragons a top-four finish with 38-0 boil-over in round 24 of 2018.
It came a year after knocking the Dragons out of the finals altogether with a 26-20 win in round 26 of 2017.
The Dogs have never looked more wounded than they do heading into Sunday's clash at their spiritual home of Belmore, the club's second outing since Trent Barrett resigned on the back of a string of poor performances.
I can remember a few, more than I'd like to remember, where we've come in in a bit of for or going much better than them on the ladder and, for some reason, they've got a hard-fought win over us or blown us off the park.
- Jack de Belin
It seemingly leaves them ripe for the picking, but de Belin has experienced enough to be wary of the wooden-spoon favourites.
"There's been plenty of games there where we've come in in a bit of form or going much better than them on the ladder and, for some reason, they've got a hard-fought win over us or blown us off the park," de Belin said.
"There's been more than I'd like to remember. You can never take any team lightly. It's the hardest competition in the world and you can be coming up against the wooden spooners and they'll still be a tough game.
"It's probably that point of the year now where it can go either way for them. It already has to some degree, but they're going to be desperate. We know that and we're ready to go."
Sitting 11th on the ladder, it's simply a must-win game for the Dragons heading into a round-13 bye after steadying the ship with a come-from-behind win over the Warriors last week.
It followed a disappointing golden point loss to the 13th-placed Titans in Magic Round, the type of slip-up the Dragons can't afford to repeat in a tight finals race.
"We put so much energy into that Titans game and to lose it in golden point was pretty disheartening," de Belin said.
"We could've easily tossed it in there against the Warriors but it just shows the strength and reslience we have as a side. It could've been pretty easy for us there [to let it slip].
"I was proud of the way the boys responded there. A win's a win in the NRL and you've got to take anything you can get.
"Leading into a bye you always want to get that win and it's pretty much a four-point game."
It will be the first time Matt Dufty and Paul Vaughan will come up against their former club, the latter having been sacked over hosting the barbecue that derailed the Dragons 2021 campaign.
Both have copped their fair share of flack through the Bulldogs run of outs this season and de Belin expects them to find another gear on Sunday.
"Obviously they haven't been getting the results there and they've been getting hammered a little bit in the media and whatnot," de Belin said.
"I know what they're like as players, they're both quality, and they're going to be coming out firing and throwing a bit extra in there as well."
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
