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Canterbury have been forced to call up two debutants to face Brisbane after a COVID-19 cluster broke out in the NRL club with four players testing positive.

Canterbury will blood at least two debutants against Brisbane and push for their lower-grade games to be postponed to ensure they can field an NRL team after a COVID-19 outbreak at the club.

In a nightmare build-up for the Bulldogs, four players have tested positive to the virus amid fears it spread further within their ranks.

It has left Canterbury with 12 players unavailable from their 30-man NRL squad for Friday night's game, with eight other players battling injuries.

Jake Averillo, Ava Seumanufagai, Brent Naden and Reece Hoffman were the four players to test positive, while Braidon Burns, Chris Patolo and Brandon Wakeham are among those injured in the past week.

The major issue is in the backline, with Averillo originally named at centre alongside Naden on the wing and with Hoffman the likely back-up choice with Burns and Corey Allan injured.

In their place Jayden Okunbor will play wing, while 20-year-old Jacob Kiraz will make his debut at centre.

Billy Tsikrikas has been plucked out of reserve grade to make his debut on the bench in place of Seumanufagai, while Bailey Biondi-Odo has come in for Wakeham in another change.

The NRL requires 24 players to travel on away trips due to COVID concerns, and has approved several members from outside the Bulldogs top-30 NRL squad to make the trip.

Those players will travel separate to the main group as a precaution, in the hope they do not also risk infection.

The dire situation was best highlighted when Barrett had to read the absences off a hand-written list, with too many players unavailable to name off the top of his head.

It also came at the worst possible time for the coach, under pressure with the Bulldogs battling off five straight losses.

"It's not ideal, but it is what it is," Barrett said.

"It affects your bench because everyone is moving up through the system. But I still think we can put a side on the field to go up and win.

"It's a huge opportunity. Some guys who were fifth and sixth on the depth chart will now be playing Brisbane on Friday night in front of 30,000 people."

Canterbury general manager Phil Gould has confirmed he has asked the NRL for the potential to loan players from the Warriors or Gold Coast if more players test positive.

Beyond that, the Bulldogs have asked the NSWRL to postpone their reserve grade and under-20s matches, fearing they won't be able to field teams and hoping to use those players as further back-up if required.

The issue of postponed games was a hot topic in the pre-season, with the NRL making clear their preference would be to play all first-grade games as scheduled with postponement only a last resort.

Barrett agrees, even if the outbreak was to spread further among the group.

"I think the game has to go ahead," Barrett said.

"We have our obligations to the league and fans to play.

"I'm not worried about our quality, it will be harder if more go down.

"But it's an opportunity for some young guys who thought they might not get a crack. We might unearth somebody."