Fairfax Media has learnt that there is unlikely to be a final decision made on a contract extension for the Canterbury coach for another eight rounds.

The Canterbury Bulldogs have announced the club's first female board member, appointing Anne Sinclair to replace Steve Mortimer.

The Bulldogs eased the pressure on coach Des Hasler by notching their first win of the season, downing the Warriors 24-12 in the first ever NRL match to be played in Dunedin.

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The Bulldogs are desperate after two losses to start the season.

The NSW state government has put forward a development application that anticipates 30 NRL games per year will be played at the new Parramatta stadium though the Eels are the only club to have committed to the venue.

Hopoate is likely to be sidelined for at least a month of football and stands to miss more action in quick succession with Canterbury scheduled for Sunday games in rounds eight, 11 and 13.

Canterbury may turn to exciting youngster Marcelo Montoya after Will Hopoate was taken to hospital and Kerrod Holland suffered a shoulder injury in Thursday's loss to the Sydney Roosters.

He could be the buy of the season and won man of the match honours, but it didn't stop Luke Keary from being caught in Roosters coach Trent Robinson's crosshairs after the Tricolours recorded their best ever start under the premiership-winning coach.

You know what happened the last time the Roosters finished in the bottom four? They won it all the next. Everyone rolled out the near worst-to-first headlines, the comebacks, revival stories. There's every chance they might be ready to do it again.

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Follow full live coverage as the Roosters host the Bulldogs.

Des Hasler's long-term tenure at Canterbury remains unclear and the head coach is not the only one under the early-season microscope.

The NRL is adamant it has not "left the door open" for a proliferation of punching to return to the game after two players were fined rather than suspended.

The Bulldogs playmaker blamed himself for Canterbury's round-one defeat to Melbourne but ahead of Thursday's showdown against the Sydney Roosters his teammates are not hearing any of that.

Ricky Stuart branded Michael Ennis "disrespectful" and told him to "grow up" - and the retired veteran's premiership-winning teammates won't be straying anywhere near the same fine line with a similar Viking Clap celebration upon their Canberra return.

Josh Reynolds was "filthy" on himself, but he won't be as upset when he sees the statistics at how much more involved he will be in the Bulldogs' attack in 2017 compared to last year.

"Real news", Des? You don't beat Craig Bellamy and Melbourne in the opening round. Not now. Not ever. Probably not again.

​Canterbury coach Des Hasler has channelled his inner Donald Trump to rubbish suggestions he's on the outer with the NRL club.

Canterbury will need to end one of the NRL's most remarkable streaks if they are to get their 2017 campaign off to a winning start against Melbourne.

Des Hasler has taken the leash off Moses Mbye and Josh Reynolds – now watch them run.