Bulldogs refuse to cop NRL cap excuse

Aug 23, 2017 - 3:55 AM Josh Jackson has rubbished suggestions uncertainty over the future of large swathes of the Canterbury playing group has contributed to their forgettable NRL season.

The Bulldogs are believed to be attempting to offload several star players including skipper James Graham and Brett and Josh Morris to get under the salary cap for 2018.

Jackson said it was a cop out to suggest the Bulldogs - who have won eight of 22 games - had been destabilised because of player uncertainty.

"No one, as far as I'm aware, has been told anything about it, it's all reports in the media," Jackson said.

"Whether there's truth behind it - I'm not too sure. But I don't think it's impacted our season at all.

"It's a pretty poor excuse if we're going to take that line. It comes down to the 17 players who are taking the field every week."

The Bulldogs have reportedly told rival teams that almost all of their top 25 are up for grabs with Jackson, David Klemmer and Raymond Faitala-Mariner the only players the club won't entertain trading.

The Bulldogs need wins in their final two rounds - starting with Saturday's clash with the strife-torn Gold Coast - in order to ease pressure on coach Des Hasler.

With the club's board up for election in February, Hasler could be axed to take the heat off them as a rival ticket headed by club greats gathers momentum.

Jackson said the side was taking a 'do it for Des' approach to their final two games, saying they needed to repay his faith in them.

"I don't think I've ever seen him (Hasler) get out of his car in the morning. When I leave he's always sitting in his office doing something - cutting up video or doing something like that," he said.

"Not only that, he's a very good people person as well. He cares about players as people first. When you're like that you get a lot out of your players."

Source: AAP