Bulldogs chairman Ray Dib has labelled Saturday's 36-0 loss to Manly as "embarrassing" and "unacceptable", casting a dark cloud over the future of Hasler at Belmore.

The Canterbury board members will gather at ANZ Stadium just a few hours before the Bulldogs' round five clash against the Broncos on Thursday for a scheduled monthly meeting, but it's Hasler's future that will be the most intriguing item on the agenda.

The club insists the humiliating loss to Manly - which was just the third time in six seasons the Bulldogs had been held scoreless - won't force it into a decision on the coach and it will continue to monitor the progress and development of the team before deciding whether to extend or end the Hasler regime.

"We're not a reactive board," Dib told Fairfax Media. "It is just one game and the board is not going to change its strategy and plan based on one performance. Last night's game was embarrassing and we know that. The players and Des and the board feel for our members and fans. It was totally unacceptable.

"We've stuck to our plan and we're not going to expedite a decision early. We're not going to be pushed. We're not a reactive board so we'll stick to our plan."

Another heavy loss to Brisbane on Thursday night will place Hasler under enormous pressure if he was to start the season with one win from the opening five games.

While the Bulldogs have had a difficult draw to start the season, the road ahead doesn't look as grim with matches against the less fancied Newcastle, South Sydney and Wests Tigers.

There's a suggestion the Bulldogs have given Hasler another two months to prove he is worthy of a contract extension. However, club officials are adamant no time frame has been put on a decision and will continue to wait and see how the season pans out.

"We don't have timelines," Dib said. "We don't have deadlines."

The club is in limbo regarding recruitment and retention, with Josh Reynolds, Michael Lichaa and Will Hopoate all off-contract.

The Bulldogs are keen to work out the drawn-out contract negotiations with Hasler before committing to major decisions around the roster for 2018.

They are also reluctant to make major decisions just in case they part ways with the coach and prefer to give the new coach a chance to compile his own roster.

There's also the issue surrounding the uncertainty of the salary cap for 2018 and beyond, only adding to the hesitation of the Bulldogs in committing to players.

"That's a difficult one for us," Dib said. "How can we recruit or retain players until we know what the salary cap is going to be next year? There's going to come a time where we probably are going to have to make some decisions. We're just waiting to hear, like everyone else, what the cap will be next year before we can commit to things."