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After a string of disappointing seasons, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are looking to overhaul their roster, with Raiders winger Nick Cotric and Tigers hooker Harry reportedly their main targets for 2021.
The club has already shown their intent to transform their squad, recruiting English international Luke Thompson, who has already joined the Bulldogs after receiving an early release from St Helens.
“They had a board meeting on Tuesday that got a lot of airtime…one of things they talked about at that meeting was recruitment and retention and they identified some targets,” he told Triple M Rocks Footy.
“Nick Cotric is the latest one to come on their radar. He’s off-contract at the end of the year, he wants to play in the centres and that’s a sticking point for Canberra because they have Jarrod Croker and Curtis Scott on pretty good money.
The talk is that he wants around the $600,000 mark and I don't think Canberra are willing to go that far because they see him as a winger.
“Canterbury need centres and they have money to spend so they have reached out to Nick Cotric’s management this week and there is a definite interest in him to help out their backline."
The Bulldogs have also been heavily pursuing Raiders backrower John Bateman, who has been given permission to negotiate with other clubs.
Whilst Bateman has indicated that he will likely head back home to England if he decides to leave the Raiders, Read suggests that the Bulldogs are eager to keep the premiership pair on the same team.
“Johnny Bateman is the other guy that they are keen on, they have been a three-year offer to Bateman. The Raiders are under siege from Canterbury and I think they have a real fight on their hands to keep if not John Bateman but definitely Nick Cotric,” he said.
Along with this, the Bulldogs look set to swoop in on Tigers hooker Harry Grant if he opts out of his deal with the Storm.
Grant is currently on loan at the Tigersand has an option on his deal that allows him to enter the open market if Cameron Smith decides to play on in 2021.
However, the Tigers are set to be met with fierce opposition from the Bulldogs, with Read revealing that they have been targeting the 22-year-old for the past two seasons.
However, the Tigers are set to be met with fierce opposition from the Bulldogs, with Read revealing that they have been targeting the 22-year-old for the past two seasons.
“Everyone assumes that if Cameron Smith goes around again, then the Wests Tigers will go in hard for Harry Grant and he will stay there,” he said.
“Canterbury have actually tried for the past two years to sign Grant and they obviously haven’t had any luck but there is still interest in Harry Grant.
“If Cam Smith decides to go around next year and Grant is able to use that get-out clause in his contract, the Wests Tigers won't have it their own way and Canterbury will come in very hard for Harry Grant."
The club has already shown their intent to transform their squad, recruiting English international Luke Thompson, who has already joined the Bulldogs after receiving an early release from St Helens.
“They had a board meeting on Tuesday that got a lot of airtime…one of things they talked about at that meeting was recruitment and retention and they identified some targets,” he told Triple M Rocks Footy.
“Nick Cotric is the latest one to come on their radar. He’s off-contract at the end of the year, he wants to play in the centres and that’s a sticking point for Canberra because they have Jarrod Croker and Curtis Scott on pretty good money.
The talk is that he wants around the $600,000 mark and I don't think Canberra are willing to go that far because they see him as a winger.
“Canterbury need centres and they have money to spend so they have reached out to Nick Cotric’s management this week and there is a definite interest in him to help out their backline."
The Bulldogs have also been heavily pursuing Raiders backrower John Bateman, who has been given permission to negotiate with other clubs.
Whilst Bateman has indicated that he will likely head back home to England if he decides to leave the Raiders, Read suggests that the Bulldogs are eager to keep the premiership pair on the same team.
“Johnny Bateman is the other guy that they are keen on, they have been a three-year offer to Bateman. The Raiders are under siege from Canterbury and I think they have a real fight on their hands to keep if not John Bateman but definitely Nick Cotric,” he said.
Along with this, the Bulldogs look set to swoop in on Tigers hooker Harry Grant if he opts out of his deal with the Storm.
Grant is currently on loan at the Tigersand has an option on his deal that allows him to enter the open market if Cameron Smith decides to play on in 2021.
However, the Tigers are set to be met with fierce opposition from the Bulldogs, with Read revealing that they have been targeting the 22-year-old for the past two seasons.
However, the Tigers are set to be met with fierce opposition from the Bulldogs, with Read revealing that they have been targeting the 22-year-old for the past two seasons.
“Everyone assumes that if Cameron Smith goes around again, then the Wests Tigers will go in hard for Harry Grant and he will stay there,” he said.
“Canterbury have actually tried for the past two years to sign Grant and they obviously haven’t had any luck but there is still interest in Harry Grant.
“If Cam Smith decides to go around next year and Grant is able to use that get-out clause in his contract, the Wests Tigers won't have it their own way and Canterbury will come in very hard for Harry Grant."
