Bulldogs coach scolds players who 'let blokes like Burto down' in shock Dolphins thumping

Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo lashed his players after a 44-8 thumping at the hands of the Dolphins.

The coach was left fuming after his ladder-leading side made 16 errors and missed 33 tackles in the pouring western Sydney rain.

It was a relatively tight affair until the final 20 minutes, when the Redcliffe team scored four converted tries to make a mess of the Belmore outfit.

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The Bulldogs were missing as many as 11 players due to injuries, suspension, and State of Origin duties.

They had also endured two tough comeback victories against the Raiders and Roosters over the past fortnight, but Ciraldo hosed down any suggestion fatigue or a lack of personnel contributed to Thursday's loss.

"No... we should have played better than that," he said.

"You can't make 16 errors and make poor decisions like that... no, fatigue is not an excuse.

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"We can't worry about (referee) decisions. We didn't deserve to win.

"They were tough conditions out there but I thought the Dolphins handled them a lot better than what we did. They were the much better team, beat us in every part of the game. That was disappointing.

"A lot of guys got an opportunity tonight and I'm sure they will learn from it."

With a host of big names missing it was the likes of Blake Taaffe, Lipoi Hopoi, Jake Turpin, and Luke Smith who were called on to fill spots in the team.

While refusing to call out anyone in particular, Ciraldo suggested several players failed to stick to the system.

"I thought (Matt Burton) was outstanding, but there were probably a few others in the team who let blokes like Burto down," he said.

"We have to look at why that happened."

The busted Bulldogs have a bye in round 13.