Canterbury will welcome superstar five-eighth Kieran Foran next year, but coach Des Hasler wants his attack to be better managed in the meantime.
Just a day after announcing the Kiwi playmaker's signature, the Bulldogs were brought back down to earth, thumped 30-14 by North Queensland.
Hasler said his Bulldogs only had themselves to blame after the Cowboys skipped away to a 24-0 lead early in the second half and killed off any hope of a contest.
Without injured five-eighth Josh Reynolds, Matthew Frawley and Moses Mbye combined for the first time for 80 minutes but were unable to capitalise on a greater territorial advantage inside the Cowboys' 20-metre zone, bar a late attacking splurge in the second half.
"We just didn't manage our opportunities well enough," Hasler said.
"We just didn't use the ball well enough. Consequently when you find yourself trying to chasing points the way we had to chase points, it makes it tough."
The Bulldogs were their own worst enemy in the first half.
They twice gave away penalties with ball in hand for obstruction. The first was a controversial call which denied winger Kerrod Holland the opening try of the match.
Hasler said the decision to penalise second-rower Josh Jackson was a 50-50 call, but insisted it had not cost his team the match.
"In the first half we cruelled ourselves as far as our discipline," Hasler said.
"It was a bit wayward, particularly when you give away penalties with the ball.
"We certainly made it easy for them getting down the field and getting into field possession and they scored five tries - four from kicks."
The Bulldogs are set to be without Reynolds for about a month- a significant blow considering their first bye isn't until round 15 in mid-June.
Hasler's have a difficult run ahead - including the Roosters and Cronulla in the next fortnight - as they attempt to improve the NRL's second-worst attack record, averaging just 15 points per game.
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