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Dean Pay admits it is critical the Bulldogs sign "three to four" top players to help lift the club out of its current slump after another dour loss on Sunday to the Tigers.
Pay has urged Bulldogs fans to stick tight following Sunday's 28-point belting, promising greener pastures ahead as the club continue their quest to bolster their playing roster.
Sunday's 34-6 loss ensured Pay's side remain at the bottom of the ladder, with their attacking woes and defensive frailties again making for a frustrating night at Bankwest Stadium.
The club will earn some reprieve this week when new recruit Luke Thompson arrives at Belmore after a two-week quarantine in Melbourne.
Having signed the English international from 2021 onwards, Canterbury managed to fast-track his arrival after agreeing to an early release with former club St. Helens.
A premiership winner with the Saints, Pay admits Thompson's arrival comes at a much-needed time.
"He's a really quality player," the Bulldogs coach described his new recruit.
"... He's an international, he's won premierships in the Super League. He's a fit guy and he's got plenty of leg speed so we're very hopeful."
Pay remains unsure whether Thompson will be ready to hit the paddock immediately ahead of the Bulldogs' clash against the Rabbitohs on Sunday.
He'll have a week of training. He hasn't run for two weeks, he's been stuck in a hotel room. We'll assess him this week and see how he is," Pay said.
"He hasn't run for quite a while, so if he's ready he's ready if he's not we'll give him another week."
Among a handful of other NRL coaches, Pay's future has remained in question throughout the season.
The club great remains resilient despite the ongoing speculation surrounding his job, but admits he needs the help of some new talent on his roster.
"We've already said we want to put in two or three real quality players in around our young guys and that's how we're going to improve," he pleaded.
That's what we need to do, that's where we need to head to."
The club have been heavily linked to wantaway Raiders star John Bateman, while reports midweek revealed they were also chasing his Canberra teammate Nick Cotric along with Tigers' hooker Harry Grant, who ironically tore the Bulldogs apart on Sunday.
Pay hinted new signings were on the horizon for the embattled club, revealing negotiations were currently ongoing behind the scenes.
"Hopefully, they'll make a difference to what our team is, I'm sure they will," Pay said of the club's pursuit of new talent.
"[We need to] keep bringing these young blokes along, keep playing [them].
"It wasn't where we needed to be tonight but these young guys, it's another learning curve for them."
Pay has urged Bulldogs fans to stick tight following Sunday's 28-point belting, promising greener pastures ahead as the club continue their quest to bolster their playing roster.
Sunday's 34-6 loss ensured Pay's side remain at the bottom of the ladder, with their attacking woes and defensive frailties again making for a frustrating night at Bankwest Stadium.
The club will earn some reprieve this week when new recruit Luke Thompson arrives at Belmore after a two-week quarantine in Melbourne.
Having signed the English international from 2021 onwards, Canterbury managed to fast-track his arrival after agreeing to an early release with former club St. Helens.
A premiership winner with the Saints, Pay admits Thompson's arrival comes at a much-needed time.
"He's a really quality player," the Bulldogs coach described his new recruit.
"... He's an international, he's won premierships in the Super League. He's a fit guy and he's got plenty of leg speed so we're very hopeful."
Pay remains unsure whether Thompson will be ready to hit the paddock immediately ahead of the Bulldogs' clash against the Rabbitohs on Sunday.
He'll have a week of training. He hasn't run for two weeks, he's been stuck in a hotel room. We'll assess him this week and see how he is," Pay said.
"He hasn't run for quite a while, so if he's ready he's ready if he's not we'll give him another week."
Among a handful of other NRL coaches, Pay's future has remained in question throughout the season.
The club great remains resilient despite the ongoing speculation surrounding his job, but admits he needs the help of some new talent on his roster.
"We've already said we want to put in two or three real quality players in around our young guys and that's how we're going to improve," he pleaded.
That's what we need to do, that's where we need to head to."
The club have been heavily linked to wantaway Raiders star John Bateman, while reports midweek revealed they were also chasing his Canberra teammate Nick Cotric along with Tigers' hooker Harry Grant, who ironically tore the Bulldogs apart on Sunday.
Pay hinted new signings were on the horizon for the embattled club, revealing negotiations were currently ongoing behind the scenes.
"Hopefully, they'll make a difference to what our team is, I'm sure they will," Pay said of the club's pursuit of new talent.
"[We need to] keep bringing these young blokes along, keep playing [them].
"It wasn't where we needed to be tonight but these young guys, it's another learning curve for them."
