HAZEM EL MASRI is either an eternal optimist or knows something most NRL punters don't, after the pointscoring wizard refused to concede the Bulldogs' finals hopes were dashed.

"There's always a chance - you never give up. If we can get a couple of wins together, anything could happen," he said.

If only the 15th-placed Bulldogs could show as much resilience with their defence.

Sitting six points adrift of the top eight with 10 matches remaining, Steve Folkes's men remain a mathematical chance of qualifying for the finals.

But those six points look more like 26 at the moment, with the injury-ravaged Dogs struggling to compete with their NRL rivals.

In their past four matches, the Bulldogs have conceded 150 points, or almost 38 points a game.

Still, El Masri said the club would not throw in the towel, with the development of youth a key focus for the remainder of the season.

Last week, five-eighth Arana Taumata made his debut against the Sydney Roosters, while under-20s prop John Kite will be given his first taste of the NRL against South Sydney tomorrow night.

"We've got a lot of young guys that we're trying to build for the rest of this year and hopefully next year. You can't slack off, you've got to remain positive," El Masri said.

"It's been tough, but it's a building process for us as well. You hit a few hurdles ... sometimes you just need a little bit of luck on your side or the bounce of the ball, or some kind of a decision go your way."

The Bulldogs will don pink socks for the match at ANZ Stadium tomorrow night, but the move has little to do with the once-feared Bulldogs pack losing its bite.

Rather the club will be doing its bit to raise awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, with the socks to be auctioned off after the game.