Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo says there's no point complaining about the club's five-day turnaround after Bulldogs football manager Phil Gould labelled their short rest period "ridiculous".
The high of the Bulldogs' golden-point win over North Queensland last Sunday has been quickly tempered by the fact Canterbury play South Sydney on Good Friday at Accor Stadium.
The Bulldogs, who haven't beaten Souths in this fixture since 2016, also have a growing injury list with Viliame Kikau and Raymond Faitala-Mariner joining long-term absentees Tevita Pangai Jr and Luke Thompson on the sidelines.
Gould was highly critical of the short gap between the game, using his podcast to aim a shot at the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) who said they had fought for stricter rules on turnaround time.
Ciraldo said his men couldn't use that as a get-out when they face the Rabbitohs.
"The game is getting faster and more intense and the collisions are getting bigger and it is a short turnaround," said Ciraldo, whose side is 3-2 to start the season.
"But we knew about it in the pre-season and we're prepared for this.
"Is it ideal? Probably not, but everyone's ready for it."
Ciraldo said he would leave it right up until kick-off before confirming the availability of back-rower Jacob Preston and prop Max King.
He almost opted to bring Pangai back early but said he wanted to take a cautious approach with the Tongan wrecking-ball, who hasn't played a game this season due to a calf complaint.
Despite the growing injury toll, the Bulldogs coach says spirits remain high and he pointed to the win over the Cowboys as proof the club was beginning to turn a corner.
"We've tried hard to prepare them for games like that," Ciraldo said.
"This whole club is built on determination and grit.
"I think you've seen it in a lot of our performances, but especially on the weekend when a lot of things went against us.
"We were down on troops but I was really proud of the way they dug in and got the job done.
"They're loving their footy at the moment and hopefully we can have another performance to be proud of."
