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WANT to know the real reason the Bulldogs have been so diabolical to watch for the past two months?
Because the club has been shopping the majority of its playing roster to rival clubs in a fire sale aimed at getting under the salary cap for next season.
Yep, essentially a large portion of the Bulldogs playing roster — even though they’re contracted for next season — are being offered up to rival clubs.
It’s all the big-name players, too. Captain James Graham, the Morris twins, Moses Mbye and Greg Eastwood have all been discussed for much of the season.
Bulldogs head coach Des Hasler.Source: AAP
Bulldogs captain Graham, the heart and soul of Belmore for the past six seasons, is on the open market because the club chose to back-end his contract. Graham is on around $1 million for next season.
The Morris brothers aren’t on that much but their deals are also back-ended and upwards of $700,000 per season. Mbye is on close to $800,000 while Eastwood is the doozy of the lot.
The one-time Kiwi international is also on around the $800,000 mark next season.
We’re tipping playing NSW Cup for that sort of money won’t worry Eastwood.
Rival NRL clubs are well aware of the situation and are sitting back letting the Bulldogs sweat.
They figure they will only get increasingly desperate as they scramble to squeeze Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods in for next year.
And let’s not forget they’ve already let Josh Reynolds, Sam Kasiano and Michael Lichaa move on next season.
The Bulldogs have been busy telephoning rival clubs with the ‘For Sale’ sign well and truly in position at Belmore.
Trouble is, there aren’t really any takers. The Dogs risk being screwed to the wall because rival clubs are only going to be interested at the right price — for them.
And given the players are still contracted, meaning technically they don’t have to go anywhere, the whole scenario is a complete mess.
If any of this sounds familiar, simply rewind to the Manly Sea Eagles when Des Hasler won the second of his two NRL titles in 2011 and then walked out the door at Narrabeen.
Manly champion Geoff Toovey took over and it wasn’t long before the back-ended contracts of Anthony Watmough, Glenn Stewart, Brent Kite and the rest started to bite.
The Sea Eagles made the grand final in 2013 and the finals in 2014 before it all caught up with them in 2015. They missed the finals for the first time since 2004 — ironically Hasler’s first year at the club — and Toovey was sacked.
So how has it come to this at Belmore? Ultimately, the buck has to stop with coach Hasler, chairman Ray Dib and CEO Raelene Castle.
Josh and Brett Morris. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: News Corp Australia
Sure, they’re successes need to be recognised. Des went desperately close to winning grand finals in 2012 and 2014.
But where the club has failed abysmally is in recruitment and retention. Letting go players like Dale Finucane, Michael Ennis and Marty Taupau were clearly mistakes.
In February of 2015 the Bulldogs released a five-year strategic plan where the club went public about its desire to win two premierships by 2019.
It also suggested they would finish inside the top four every year.
In the background to all of this is a House of Cards-style powerplay for control of the club looming at the football club election next February.
There is growing unrest among a number of retired Bulldogs players about the direction the club has gone and there is expected to be a star-studded rival ticket challenging for control.
Will Hasler survive that long? Definitely not if the Bulldogs continue losing.
Canterbury Bulldogs coach Des Hasler with CEO Raelene Castle. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: News Corp Australia
Given the backdrop of instability and uncertainty, is it any wonder the Bulldogs players have only managed to win one match out of their last seven.
Even that was a lucky, last-minute escape against the Knights.
The record shows the Bulldogs have won seven out of their last 24 matches.
One thing for certain, Hasler will need to call upon all his supercoach powers to conjure a win against the Rabbitohs on Thursday.
We’re not saying he can’t do it, but it will take one of his greatest pieces of coaching.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/411ffe41a997c2553f7393a6d1173f1d
Because the club has been shopping the majority of its playing roster to rival clubs in a fire sale aimed at getting under the salary cap for next season.
Yep, essentially a large portion of the Bulldogs playing roster — even though they’re contracted for next season — are being offered up to rival clubs.
It’s all the big-name players, too. Captain James Graham, the Morris twins, Moses Mbye and Greg Eastwood have all been discussed for much of the season.
Bulldogs head coach Des Hasler.Source: AAP
Bulldogs captain Graham, the heart and soul of Belmore for the past six seasons, is on the open market because the club chose to back-end his contract. Graham is on around $1 million for next season.
The Morris brothers aren’t on that much but their deals are also back-ended and upwards of $700,000 per season. Mbye is on close to $800,000 while Eastwood is the doozy of the lot.
The one-time Kiwi international is also on around the $800,000 mark next season.
We’re tipping playing NSW Cup for that sort of money won’t worry Eastwood.
Rival NRL clubs are well aware of the situation and are sitting back letting the Bulldogs sweat.
They figure they will only get increasingly desperate as they scramble to squeeze Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods in for next year.
And let’s not forget they’ve already let Josh Reynolds, Sam Kasiano and Michael Lichaa move on next season.
The Bulldogs have been busy telephoning rival clubs with the ‘For Sale’ sign well and truly in position at Belmore.
Trouble is, there aren’t really any takers. The Dogs risk being screwed to the wall because rival clubs are only going to be interested at the right price — for them.
And given the players are still contracted, meaning technically they don’t have to go anywhere, the whole scenario is a complete mess.
If any of this sounds familiar, simply rewind to the Manly Sea Eagles when Des Hasler won the second of his two NRL titles in 2011 and then walked out the door at Narrabeen.
Manly champion Geoff Toovey took over and it wasn’t long before the back-ended contracts of Anthony Watmough, Glenn Stewart, Brent Kite and the rest started to bite.
The Sea Eagles made the grand final in 2013 and the finals in 2014 before it all caught up with them in 2015. They missed the finals for the first time since 2004 — ironically Hasler’s first year at the club — and Toovey was sacked.
So how has it come to this at Belmore? Ultimately, the buck has to stop with coach Hasler, chairman Ray Dib and CEO Raelene Castle.
Josh and Brett Morris. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: News Corp Australia
Sure, they’re successes need to be recognised. Des went desperately close to winning grand finals in 2012 and 2014.
But where the club has failed abysmally is in recruitment and retention. Letting go players like Dale Finucane, Michael Ennis and Marty Taupau were clearly mistakes.
In February of 2015 the Bulldogs released a five-year strategic plan where the club went public about its desire to win two premierships by 2019.
It also suggested they would finish inside the top four every year.
In the background to all of this is a House of Cards-style powerplay for control of the club looming at the football club election next February.
There is growing unrest among a number of retired Bulldogs players about the direction the club has gone and there is expected to be a star-studded rival ticket challenging for control.
Will Hasler survive that long? Definitely not if the Bulldogs continue losing.
Canterbury Bulldogs coach Des Hasler with CEO Raelene Castle. Picture: Gregg PorteousSource: News Corp Australia
Given the backdrop of instability and uncertainty, is it any wonder the Bulldogs players have only managed to win one match out of their last seven.
Even that was a lucky, last-minute escape against the Knights.
The record shows the Bulldogs have won seven out of their last 24 matches.
One thing for certain, Hasler will need to call upon all his supercoach powers to conjure a win against the Rabbitohs on Thursday.
We’re not saying he can’t do it, but it will take one of his greatest pieces of coaching.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/411ffe41a997c2553f7393a6d1173f1d
