NRL: Bulldogs' season on the line

The toothless Bulldogs are searching for answers with a two-month victory drought making their NRL playoff hopes an almost impossible task.

Coach Kevin Moore refused to directly answer questions about whether his club was at crisis point after falling 25-24 to Gold Coast on Friday night - their sixth straight loss.

With their season on the line against a below-strength Titans, Canterbury produced a terrible opening which ultimately cost them the Suncorp Stadium encounter.

Despite a spirited late comeback inspired by livewire super-sub Ben Barba, Moore unleashed on his troops for their lack of fight in a post-match dressing down.

The Bulldogs have won only three matches so far this season, the least in the competition.

With the Coast already missing representative forwards Luke Bailey and Ashley Harrison, and veteran fullback Preston Campbell, they were ripe for the picking when skipper Scott Prince limped off in the 25th minute with a torn hamstring.

But the Dogs, preliminary finalists last year, dropped too much ball and were lax for the first hour in defence before the injury-riddled Titans tired and struggled to maintain possession.

"We found ways to win games and this year we're finding ways to lose them," Moore said.

"Winning breeds confidence. Finding that win would click things into gear but we need to find a way to make that happen.

"We're not far off it but we're finding it very hard to get over the line at the moment.

"There's no magic button under the table to fix it, it's about working hard.

"The one thing I can say is the playing group is a tight group and are disappointed where we're at at the moment but there's a lot of spirit in the team and we'll work our way out of it."

Moore admitted he was no longer contemplating any finals equations and deflected queries about whether they were a club in crisis.

"You call it the way you wish to, I'm not going to focus on that," he said.

With dumped NSW playmaker Brett Kimmorley off contract at the end of the season and Manly's Trent Hodkinson signing at Belmore this week, Moore said his No.7 was wrestling with his future.

"(But) he's such a great competitor that I don't think that's going to affect his form."

Although Barba scored two tries and set up another for Jamal Idris as the Bulldogs came back from 24-6 down, Moore won't rush the youngster into his starting side.

"Ben's at a stage at his development where he struggles to maintain his intensity for 80 minutes," Moore said.

"As a coach you can't be pushed into changing plans on development of young kids just on the way your results are going and my investment in Ben is in the long term and I want to make sure he's around the club for the next eight years."

- AAP