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This could play a massive part in Dean Pay’s future at Canterbury, because Kieran Foran’s ability to string together consistent performances this year will have a huge bearing on the Bulldogs’ success.
But despite some concern Foran won’t be ready for the NRL’s return round, Pay is adamant the luckless playmaker is raring to go.
And while Foran is desperate to get back on the field so he can prove he deserves another deal beyond this year, Pay also needs the team to hit the ground running because he is also off contract in less than six months.
Understandably, Pay’s future has been put on hold as the club comes to terms with all the ramifications directly related to the coronavirus shutdown.
But Pay confirmed on Wednesday that Foran was back doing contact training, and a meeting with a specialist next week would hopefully give him the green light to play.
“I am confident … and he is 100 per cent convinced (he will play),” Pay said.
“He still has to get through some more contact work. He has only just started.
“I don’t want to put the mock on him. But, touch wood, he should be sweet.”
If this eventuates the question will be who partners Foran in the halves.
Lachlan Lewis and Brandon Wakeham currently have the jump on Jack Cogger but Pay openly admits it is up in the air.
The Bulldogs are also still an outside chance of signing Josh Reynolds but that would only be if Wests Tigers are prepared to carry the majority of Reynolds’ salary.
Internally, this is considered no safe bet at this point, although it is still too early to put a line through any potential deal altogether.
What can’t be denied is that Lewis is facing a significant challenge to keep ahead of the exciting young Wakeham.
Lewis started the season viewed as the playmaker who would lead the club into the future.
However he suffered a setback when he was benched in the round two loss to North Queensland after an ordinary first-up effort against Parramatta.
In both games Lewis’ finish to sets just weren’t up to NRL standard.
It also again highlighted how crucial Foran’s experience is to a team that finished last year winning seven of their last 10 games before opening this season with back-to-back losses in Foran’s absence, after he suffered his injury playing for New Zealand.
Wakeham trained alongside Foran yesterday while Lewis is expected to get his shot at Friday’s team session.
It’s no secret Pay has been coaching under enormous salary cap restraints since he arrived at the club.
Then on top of starting this season without Foran, Pay also had to contend with the sacking of Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor.
But in 2021 at least the Bulldogs will finally be in a position to hit the market with some cash to splash, although they have to start making some big decisions soon.
There are still a stack of the top-30 squad not signed for next year including Foran, Wakeham and Cogger as well as Aiden Tolman, Adam Elliott, Morgan Harper, Kerrod Holland, Marcelo Montoya and young Isaihah Tass.
The Bulldogs also only have 27 contracted top 30 players for this year after the exit of Harawira-Naera and Okunbor.
The question the club has to answer is how many of these off-contract players should be retained if the Bulldogs are fair dinkum about getting themselves back among the genuine premiership contenders.
For instance, how many of the Bulldogs’ current crop would win a place in the Roosters, Melbourne or Canberra’s top 17?
They have already landed tough Englishman Luke Thompson for next year, although in the current COVID-19 crisis that might have some complications in the coming months.
But the Dogs still have a lot of other questions that need to be answered before Thompson is due to arrive.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...k/news-story/4842fb1ed429e4fc803f603c79fc96f5
But despite some concern Foran won’t be ready for the NRL’s return round, Pay is adamant the luckless playmaker is raring to go.
And while Foran is desperate to get back on the field so he can prove he deserves another deal beyond this year, Pay also needs the team to hit the ground running because he is also off contract in less than six months.
Understandably, Pay’s future has been put on hold as the club comes to terms with all the ramifications directly related to the coronavirus shutdown.
But Pay confirmed on Wednesday that Foran was back doing contact training, and a meeting with a specialist next week would hopefully give him the green light to play.
“I am confident … and he is 100 per cent convinced (he will play),” Pay said.
“He still has to get through some more contact work. He has only just started.
“I don’t want to put the mock on him. But, touch wood, he should be sweet.”
If this eventuates the question will be who partners Foran in the halves.
Lachlan Lewis and Brandon Wakeham currently have the jump on Jack Cogger but Pay openly admits it is up in the air.
The Bulldogs are also still an outside chance of signing Josh Reynolds but that would only be if Wests Tigers are prepared to carry the majority of Reynolds’ salary.
Internally, this is considered no safe bet at this point, although it is still too early to put a line through any potential deal altogether.
What can’t be denied is that Lewis is facing a significant challenge to keep ahead of the exciting young Wakeham.
Lewis started the season viewed as the playmaker who would lead the club into the future.
However he suffered a setback when he was benched in the round two loss to North Queensland after an ordinary first-up effort against Parramatta.
In both games Lewis’ finish to sets just weren’t up to NRL standard.
It also again highlighted how crucial Foran’s experience is to a team that finished last year winning seven of their last 10 games before opening this season with back-to-back losses in Foran’s absence, after he suffered his injury playing for New Zealand.
Wakeham trained alongside Foran yesterday while Lewis is expected to get his shot at Friday’s team session.
It’s no secret Pay has been coaching under enormous salary cap restraints since he arrived at the club.
Then on top of starting this season without Foran, Pay also had to contend with the sacking of Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor.
But in 2021 at least the Bulldogs will finally be in a position to hit the market with some cash to splash, although they have to start making some big decisions soon.
There are still a stack of the top-30 squad not signed for next year including Foran, Wakeham and Cogger as well as Aiden Tolman, Adam Elliott, Morgan Harper, Kerrod Holland, Marcelo Montoya and young Isaihah Tass.
The Bulldogs also only have 27 contracted top 30 players for this year after the exit of Harawira-Naera and Okunbor.
The question the club has to answer is how many of these off-contract players should be retained if the Bulldogs are fair dinkum about getting themselves back among the genuine premiership contenders.
For instance, how many of the Bulldogs’ current crop would win a place in the Roosters, Melbourne or Canberra’s top 17?
They have already landed tough Englishman Luke Thompson for next year, although in the current COVID-19 crisis that might have some complications in the coming months.
But the Dogs still have a lot of other questions that need to be answered before Thompson is due to arrive.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...k/news-story/4842fb1ed429e4fc803f603c79fc96f5