Andrew Johns said Liam Knight's signing by the Bulldogs is an example of the type of player the club should be chasing as they continue to rebuild.Knight left Rabbitohs HQ on Monday morning, and on Tuesday was named by the Bulldogs in their extended squad to take on the Dolphins in Bundaberg on Sunday afternoon.Johns said Knight was an example of the DNA the Bulldogs carried through the late 1990s and early 2000s, and was someone who would be a "good influence" on the young squad at Belmore."Especially on the younger players – he trains hard and has his life sorted," he said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth.Johns said the Bulldogs once had a reputation of being a club that "flogged" their players at training."They flogged their players, to the point of breaking them, and if they did break you, you weren't a Bulldog … they've got to get those standards back," he said."A problem now is some players are too well-educated on sports-science. They talk about loading and how much they've done, and that they need to do this and that. "Gone are the days where … you did what you were told."Knight's signing comes amid suggestions football boss Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo are putting the broom through the struggling squad.Reports emerged this week captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Ryan Sutton have been told they're free to negotiate with other clubs. Both are contracted until the end of 2025.Gould denied the reports.Jake Averillo will depart at season's end, forced out by a backline squeeze brought about by the arrival of superstar signing Stephen Crichton from the Panthers. Bronson Xerri also signed a two-year deal starting next season as he looks to reignite his career following a four-year ban for the use of anabolic steroids.Rabbitohs understudy fullback Blake Taafe has also been spotted meeting with Bulldogs bosses.Blues coach Brad Fittler said Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo were "on the same level"."Cam Ciraldo would be sitting with Gus … they're communicating and they're trying to turn them into a winning club with a winning culture," Fittler said."Sometimes you have to make big decisions."At the moment, they're not just trying to win games, they're trying to get their salary cap in order."
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