Official Luke Thompson Signs for 2021

DinkumDog

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It’s probably fair that he gets the chance in 2021 but I also think there is a lot of expectation and pressure for 2021- anything less than finals is probably a failure. So I think the best available person for the job should get it. We also don’t know how much help Pay is getting with his coaching as there is a heap of ex players around the club at the moment... bit of a family environment :relieved:
You're right about expectation. And the board will be aware of this too - they will be facing another election in February 2022, so if we don't make the 8 this year (I think we can) we definitely need to make it in 2021.
Agree best available for the job. Whether or not that's Dean will largely be up to him and how we get out of the gates this year.
Most clubs have multiple coaches now - assistants, forwards coaches, backs coaches, halves coaches, kicking coaches etc - I wouldn't pay too much attention to that.
A head coach is largely also responsible for strategy including juniors, recruitment/retention etc - not just the game plan for each game. One bloke doesn't and couldn't do it all - even if you're Robinson or Bellamy.
 

Pity Fool

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View attachment 12951 “The penny has dropped”
“The silence is deafening”
“The do nothing board won’t sign anyone”
“Why did Hill go to England twice? He’s too busy with touch football”
“Our recruitment are shit”
“No one wants to play under Pay”
“We’ll see who has egg on their face”
Funny as Fuck Bahahaha :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 

TwinTurbo

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I can't remember you guys having many UK outside backs in your teams...unless you mean you've had more than your fair share of fails?
Jonathan Davies is one that comes to mind.

Go Dogs
 

KambahOne

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Well other Clubs may have had some duds but I remember Connelly, Davies. Can't think of any who were real fails for our club.
Yeah Spoon just mentioned them. I remember I was excited to see Joe Burgess until I saw Joe Burgess. Geesus. Sam Tomkins was another failure and Ryan Hall is going the same path.
 

NPC83

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You're right about expectation. And the board will be aware of this too - they will be facing another election in February 2022, so if we don't make the 8 this year (I think we can) we definitely need to make it in 2021.
Agree best available for the job. Whether or not that's Dean will largely be up to him and how we get out of the gates this year.
Most clubs have multiple coaches now - assistants, forwards coaches, backs coaches, halves coaches, kicking coaches etc - I wouldn't pay too much attention to that.
A head coach is largely also responsible for strategy including juniors, recruitment/retention etc - not just the game plan for each game. One bloke doesn't and couldn't do it all - even if you're Robinson or Bellamy.
Yeah agree re: multiple coaches I just wonder a little bit if the team is getting coached a bit by some close to Dean. We have have a lot of smart football brains around the club now and we did turn the corner a little bit at the end of last year. Some of the players we wanted to see get more time and there seemed to be less chopping and changing. Not in anyway trying to be negative just thinking out loud.
 

DinkumDog

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Yeah Spoon just mentioned them. I remember I was excited to see Joe Burgess until I saw Joe Burgess. Geesus. Sam Tomkins was another failure and Ryan Hall is going the same path.
Must be those soy lattes at Bondi...:-)
 

Shire Dog

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I checked our membership out which is currently at 9500
It’s great seeing so many positive posts and people in good spirits regarding this great player coming to our club
The team & club are on the up so I’m urging many more to purchase a season pass
We have the most passionate supporters in the comp so let’s turn up in good numbers and show the faith.
Bulldogs Army
 

GrogDog

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Very good news. Always love having a hard running pommie in the forward pack. I was certainly starting to wonder about recruitment that's no lie so credit where it's due to the Dogs.

*Love how some take the positive news as an opportunity to self indulge themselves with the I told you so line.
 

DinkumDog

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Yeah agree re: multiple coaches I just wonder a little bit if the team is getting coached a bit by some close to Dean. We have have a lot of smart football brains around the club now and we did turn the corner a little bit at the end of last year. Some of the players we wanted to see get more time and there seemed to be less chopping and changing. Not in anyway trying to be negative just thinking out loud.
All good mate, you're not negative, you raise interesting points :-).
I think part of it was definitely Dean himself getting more experience as well as listening to others (Opes would've played a part) and eventually bringing in guys like Shifty and others.
It's easy to judge from the outside. We've now built some stability and structure and it's now a matter of strengthening that structure heading into 2020/2021.
We're on a great path both as a business and a squad. More work to do absolutely, but a good path.
 

DinkumDog

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Very good news. Always love having a hard running pommie in the forward pack. I was certainly starting to wonder about recruitment that's no lie so credit where it's due to the Dogs.

*Love how some take the positive news as an opportunity to self indulge themselves with the I told you so line.
That was inevitable mate after listening to so much bleating for so long.
I'll wear that and don't mind doing so - but for me it was always about staying the course and trusting that we were headed in the right direction. Thompson's signature is just the beginning of heralding a new era for the club that was always going to take some time to build.
 

NPC83

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All good mate, you're not negative, you raise interesting points :-).
I think part of it was definitely Dean himself getting more experience as well as listening to others (Opes would've played a part) and eventually bringing in guys like Shifty and others.
It's easy to judge from the outside. We've now built some stability and structure and it's now a matter of strengthening that structure heading into 2020/2021.
We're on a great path both as a business and a squad. More work to do absolutely, but a good path.
Might make a little prediction... memberships will make a little spike this week :tearsofjoy:
 

GrogDog

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That was inevitable mate after listening to so much bleating for so long.
I'll wear that and don't mind doing so - but for me it was always about staying the course and trusting that we were headed in the right direction. Thompson's signature is just the beginning of heralding a new era for the club that was always going to take some time to build.
I get it, I really do and there's varying levels of positivity and negativity. For me in not knowing any "inside sources" it's about what I can see which is why I was starting to question our abilities to lure proper players.

That said I am stoked at this signing and as mentioned already I love pommie (non dirty) forwards, They have a different level of hardness that you don't often see in the NRL forwards. This can only be a good thing and should hopefully make the next signing just that little bit easier. Great news!
 

Bob dog

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Congratulations to Thompson and Canterbury on reaching an agreement, great buy.
Now bring Addo Carr home to Sydney.
 

Psycho Doggie

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We needed a top class young prop, this is a very positive signing, not just the player who has been signed, but the way it was done. There was plenty of competition for this blokes signature, the fact that we landed it means something. Three year contract means we have an upgrade on Tolman, who can either take a reduced contract and be a mentor and bench/back up prop, or try and land a fat ESL contract.
 
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