Cameron Ciraldo insists he's enjoying his first year coaching Canterbury, even if club football manager Phil Gould says he should've waited a season before landing at Belmore.
Ciraldo was touted as the next great coach in waiting but his first year in the hot seat at Canterbury hasn't been without its setbacks.
The Bulldogs have a 5-11 record and suffered a 66-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend which has forced Ciraldo into changes.
Hayze Perham, Khaled Rajab and Paul Alamoti have all been dropped for Saturday's game against South Sydney as Ciraldo seeks to fulfil the Dogs' early-season promise.
Injuries haven't helped the Bulldogs' cause either and Gould, who blamed the club's salary cap dramas seven years ago for the current state, said Ciraldo ought to have waited another 12 months before joining Canterbury.
But Ciraldo said he had spent enough time as an understudy at Penrith to know he was willing to jump head first into turning the Dogs around.
"If I was going to come here I wasn't going to wait 12 months, I want to get in and get started," Ciraldo said.
"As hard as last weekend was, I'm loving it.
"I'm loving every day. I'm enjoying the challenge, it's helped me grow as a person and grow as a coach.
"I've enjoyed every day this week, trying to figure out how we get the best performance out of our guys ... hopefully that happens."
Ciraldo will hand a club debut to halfback Toby Sexton this weekend after he completed a mid-season switch from the Gold Coast.
Sexton was once viewed as the Titans' long-term No.7 and Ciraldo said there was no reason why he couldn't become that for Canterbury.
The ball is in his court, and we're going to back him with that," Ciraldo said.
"He's signed for a few years and we're very excited about what he can do.
"He's got a really good opportunity in front of him."
The Rabbitohs, who are without four players due to State of Origin duty, have beaten the Bulldogs in their last five meetings.
