Boasting one of the lightest packs in the NRL, Canterbury are aiming to prove it's not about the size of the dog in the fight but rather the fight in the dog.
Head coach Cameron Ciraldo waved goodbye to Luke Thompson, Tevita Pangai Jr and Franklin Pele over the off-season, leaving the Bulldogs short on size in the middle of the field.
But as they chase a return to the finals for the first time since 2016, the Dogs cannot be accused of neglecting the need to beef up their pack.
The club failed to reach a deal to bring Sio Siua Taukeiaho back from the Super League over the summer, while a move for Sydney Roosters big man Terrell May has fallen through.
Canterbury were also in discussions with Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake, who has agreed to move to Cronulla in 2025.
But lock Kurt Mann, who signed from Newcastle over the off-season and tips the scales at 88kg after signing, believes the Dogs can make their lack of size play to their advantage.
"I think with the way the game has gone, the speed of it just keeps getting faster and faster every year," Mann said.
"With a couple more rule changes it's probably going to be a little bit faster again.
"Gone are the days where you just have big tall timbers and a big pack.
"Everyone's got to be a little bit more mobile and be able to move a lot quicker.
"That suits me, I'm not one of the biggest bodies and it'll suit the pack and the style of footy we're looking to play."
Mann will get his first hit-out in Canterbury colours in Friday's trial against the Sharks, along with Stephen Crichton who is expected to line up at centre.
Mann and three-time premiership winner Crichton are two of the 10 new faces to arrive at Belmore over the off-season and co-captain Reed Mahoney is vowing that they will aid the Dogs' direction.
"They've brought great experience and they're really good people who make the club better," Mahoney said.
"I probably speak on behalf of everyone when I say we're really looking forward to this season.
"We've obviously got new players and we've also got boys here that have grown a lot in the last three or four months.
"We've worked really extremely hard on the footy side of things, but also the mental side of things."
