The Bulldogs have underachieved this season due largely to injuries and a lack of training because of work commitments.

Former Knights hooker Luke Quigley has officially retired from rugby league due to a chronic neck injury and he is likely to assist Polglase next season.

Quigley could also be joined in retirement by former Knight Reegan Tanner, Marty Oborn, Andrew Spicer, Tim Conway and Mick Campton, who work in the mines.

Polglase said the five senior players were yet to make a decision on their future.

"We have a pretty old roster at the moment and a lot of our top-line players might not be with us next year, so we'll probably be out chasing a few players," Polglase said.

"We've gone through a period over the last few years where we've had a lot of miners and a lot them are reaching that 29 and 30 age where they might not be playing too much longer and the new players we get mightn't be [mine workers]."

Kurri's under-18 side have wrapped up the minor premiership and Polglase said developing that crop of players would be vital.

"We'll look to bring them up in the next few years and foster our juniors," he said.

"It's some youth that we want, so we'll be targeting 22- to 23-year-olds who have four or five years of footy ahead of them."

The Bulldogs' season could be on the line today when they host Cessnock in the Coalfields derby at Kurri Sportsground.

Kurri have slipped to sixth after losing 42-12 to the fifth-placed Central Newcastle last Sunday.

They have an easier run home than the Butcher Boys, but Polglase wants a quality performance today to build momentum for their final three matches against South Newcastle (away), Northern Blues (away) and Macquarie (home).

"It's the last of the top teams we play this year and just for our confidence we need to compete for the full 80 minutes against them, or there's no real point in the last three games," he said.