Even before their injury list became more crowded than the train home from the Easter Show, the Bulldogs would have been up against it on Good Friday.
It's been a long time since they tasted victory over the Rabbitohs in the annual fixture. Since 2017, they've lost every Good Friday match, often in disheartening fashion.
So now, being just a few injuries in the forwards away from hoping there's a big unit loitering in the front bar of the Canterbury Leagues Club, winning Friday's clash with South Sydney seems like a tall order for Cameron Ciraldo's side.
Throw in a short, five-day turnaround between the last round's golden point victory over North Queensland and it seems as though the defeats of the past and the bad luck of the present are conspiring against them.
But the Bulldogs are hell bent on continuing to create a new future, one where winning is never beyond reach, no matter the odds.
"Every week we show our grit and you saw that against the Cowboys, you saw the grit we had as a team. We just kept going," said winger Jacob Kiraz.
"That was the problem last year, if we were losing we didn't come back – we felt like we were just down.
"The coaching staff have worked hard to show us that no matter how long is left, there's still time to win the game. That's what happened, all the boys stuck in there and eventually it worked out for us."
Kiraz has been in outstanding form to open 2023, sitting in the top five for Dally M voting and leading the league in runs, run metres and offloads while also ranking third in tackle busts.
With the amount of firepower the Bulldogs are missing in the middle of the field they'll need another mighty yardage effort from Kiraz, but the Lebanese international is primed for another huge performance – as a childhood Canterbury fan, he's been waiting his whole life to play on Good Friday.
"I love playing first grade, I took a long journey to get here and I want to take advantage of it. So every time I go out there, I want to play with my heart out. I know what it means for the fans, so I want to do it for them and for my family," Kiraz said.
"As a kid, I was always watching the Good Friday clashes. We want to show our grit as a team, I can't wait for it and hopefully we'll get another win.
"I love the stadium, I love the rivalry, it just feels special, it feels different. I'm a faithful person as well, so it really is Good Friday for me."
Only one of Canterbury's match-day squad this week has played in a Good Friday victory – the rejuvenated Josh Reynolds, who made his return to first grade for the Bulldogs in last round's win over the Cowboys.
It was a special moment for Kiraz, who idolised Reynolds as a boy.
"All of last week we were saying how unreal it was. Playing with him this quickly, I'm so wrapt, I'm so happy. Even after the game, I was giving him a kiss cause I love him so much," Kiraz said.
"It doesn't feel real to me, I was watching him back in the day and now I'm here with him, it's unreal, I'm so grateful."
Reynolds is once again expected to be deployed in the middle third of the field as the Bulldogs look to use his skill and energy to negate their lack of size.
