Canterbury players have detailed the uncomfortable review of last year's nightmare semi-final loss to Penrith, and how it can steel them for 2026.
The Bulldogs will enter this weekend's Las Vegas season opener as the only finals team from last year appearing at Allegiant Stadium.
But it is the manner in which they exited 2025 that still gives Canterbury the greatest consternation ahead of their clash with St George Illawarra.
The Bulldogs sat top of the NRL ladder for more weeks than any other club last year, having held a grip on the minor-premiership race from round six until round 17.
But they lost five of their last six, with the final nail in the coffin a 46-26 loss to a near-perfect Penrith.
Teams often handle knockout finals losses in different ways, either wiping it entirely or conducting a full review ahead of the next season.
But second-rower Jacob Preston said the Bulldogs had opted for the latter.
"Obviously, it was very uncomfortable," Preston said, with the Bulldogs at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
"That day we got blown off the park and it's not something we pride ourselves on.
"All the boys will be disappointed at how we ended last year. Going out straight sets in the semi-finals isn't anything that anybody wants to do.
"We took a lot from that and hopefully we can rectify it this year."
Canterbury's exit at the hands of Penrith came after they were narrowly beaten by Melbourne in week one, and dumped out of the finals in another tight loss to Manly in 2024.
"(Watching it back) hurts, but that's the only way you become a winner," captain Stephen Crichton told AAP.
"It's definitely going to help it not happen again. And regardless if it hurts or not, it's all for the better of the individual and the better of the team as well.
"There's always pain when you don't make it that far.
"We built our year really well last year, but we just got to the same spot as we did the year before. But there's just a lot of lessons that we can take out of that."
Canterbury were the first to land in Las Vegas last weekend, with the extra time having allowed them to take in the bright lights and watch the Eagles at the Sphere.
On the field, Lachlan Galvin will again likely have the biggest spotlight on him to start the season after last year's mid-season arrival.
Critics pointed to the Bulldogs' change in the halves as a turning point last season, with Toby Sexton dropped and Galvin partnering Matt Burton in nine games.
"It definitely wasn't Lachy's fault," Crichton said.
"Him coming to the club, was probably a good decision in the club, and I'm excited to see what he can do this year, especially after the pre-season.
"He came halfway through the year where he didn't know the systems, didn't know what we stood for to be a Bulldog and things like that.
"So I'm very excited to see how he goes this year, learning all those things."
