Competition for spots can push Dean Pay’s Bulldogs to another level in 2020

MoNkEy

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https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...0/news-story/41b7dc99f1f9957b2ebf10e7b33372ef

Why Pay's Bulldogs Deserve Your Respect

Paul Crawley
, The Daily Telegraph
February 18, 2020 11:04am

Canterbury coach Dean Pay will travel close to 13,000km as he embarks on a long-haul pre-season mission to instil more belief in the Bulldogs

This time last year, Pay entered the season as the NRL coach under most pressure to keep his job.

But while Pay is again off contract this year, he has earned the right to start 2020 with a spring in his step.

Canterbury won seven of their last 10 games in 2019 and most of those were against teams in top eight contention

Pay says for that reason his players deserve more respect, even though most experts have them among the spoon favourites.

Pay conceded what was crucial now is that they don’t underestimate how good a football team they can potentially be.

“That is our mentality,” Pay said.

“I want these kids to believe in themselves and get better again this year, and the results will look after themselves.

“We built a little bit of belief over the last 10 rounds of last season and it was all off the back of our defence.

“We didn’t score that many points, but at the end of the day if you have more than the opposition that is the aim of the game.

“We just need our younger blokes to keep improving.

“And there is a different feel among them now. They are not just starting their careers, they have got a few games under their belt so they are walking around feeling like first grade players.

“We finished up only missing the finals by a couple of games last year so our aim is to get up there as far as we can.”

After travelling to Perth for the NRL Nines, Canterbury will take on Cronulla in Port Moresby on Saturday followed by a hit out against grand finalists Canberra the following weekend in Port Macquarie.

The players will leave for PNG on Thursday, return home on Sunday, then bus it up the NSW north coast on Tuesday before returning home on March 1.

It’s going to give the squad plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company and there is also a chance to cement a starting spot with several positions still up for grabs.

Of course there is going to be far greater pressure on his young halves given the long term injury to Kieran Foran which will leave Lachlan Lewis to partner either Jack Cogger or Brandon Wakeham.

Reimis Smith is going to get his shot at centres during the trials while young Morgan Harper is a terrific talent.

The wing spots are also up for grabs and with Nick Meaney suffering a hamstring strain Christian Crichton and Jayden Okunbor have a chance to nail down a spot.

Pay plans to play Josh Jackson on an edge this year but the skipper won’t be playing this weekend as he recovers a broken nose, while Adam Elliott and Raymond Faitala-Mariner have ankle injuries.

But there is enough depth in the forwards that Pay says is creating a competitive environment.

“They are not really big household names but they are turning into qood quality first grade footy players,” Pay said.

Jeremy Marshall-King is also recovering from shoulder surgery and will struggle to be fit for round one with former Panther Sione Katoa a welcome addition.

But when he’s fit Marshall-King is exactly the type of player Pay says has to really start believing in his ability.

Pay has a massive opinion of Marshall-King and reckons he has all the qualities to be Canterbury’s long term dummy half.

SUPERCOACH INSIDER

Bulldogs are the least fashionable side in SuperCoach this year with no player owned by more than 8.5 per cent. However, SuperCoaches have their fingers crossed Brandon Wakeham ($277,000) scores a halves spot ahead of Jack Cogger and Morgan Harper ($277,700) scores a centre spot. If so, both are near must-have cheapies.

— Tom Sangster
 

TABOO

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Meaney injured?
Jacko to play edge again?
This is not good news to start with.
 

Spoonman84

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Meaney injured?
Jacko to play edge again?
This is not good news to start with.
Could be wrong but the club put out something yesterday that Crichton was injured and no mention of Meaney so he Crawley might have got them mixed up.
 

Cappuccino

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Could be wrong but the club put out something yesterday that Crichton was injured and no mention of Meaney so he Crawley might have got them mixed up.
could be a good time to sign johnston with all these injured wingers
 

_G-Dog_

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As long as it doesnt mean Pay has Montoya back in the mix.. FMD
 

Cappuccino

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Didn't Bulllfrog say you could never have enough Johnston's?
i think you've misquoted there..
what he said was
"When you think you have enough Johnstons, you go out and buy one more Johnston"
 

Big M

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JMK out first round or two,Katoa to start,Holland on bench...Riot act read out to the nines squad after Saturday night out with a few of the young ones. not acting appropriately.NRL Integrity unit brought in but mistaken identity ??!!
 

CrittaMagic69

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Ut oh
Jackson on an edge
@Sancho2020
I mean it's not the worst...well it is if Elliott starts lol. Jackson can do the job either position but I think he's more suited in the middle, we also have a few different edge options that could get a run and overall give us a better team.
 

TABOO

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I mean it's not the worst...well it is if Elliott starts lol. Jackson can do the job either position but I think he's more suited in the middle, we also have a few different edge options that could get a run and overall give us a better team.
Blind Freddy could see it should be 11. Stimson 12. CHN 13. Jacko
Rfm as bench middle when he is fit. Can slot in to lock or prop as needed.
 

TwinTurbo

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Blind Freddy could see it should be 11. Stimson 12. CHN 13. Jacko
Rfm as bench middle when he is fit. Can slot in to lock or prop as needed.
Based on the 9's (not a big deal) Britt was better than Stimson, plus he offers that missing ingredient of being able to offload.

Go Dogs
 

TABOO

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Based on the 9's (not a big deal) Britt was better than Stimson, plus he offers that missing ingredient of being able to offload.

Go Dogs
I get what you're saying but like you, I don't take a lot out of the 9s. The offload from Britt is great but other than that, he seems to lack physicality and impact. I've seen him get dominated and worked over in tackles a bit.
Given our lack of points, we need some explosive edge runners with some agility and footwork and I personally see that coming from CHN and stimpson.
Just my opinion.
 

CrittaMagic69

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Blind Freddy could see it should be 11. Stimson 12. CHN 13. Jacko
Rfm as bench middle when he is fit. Can slot in to lock or prop as needed.
I'd start Britt on the edge ahead of Stimson as Stimson looks well off the pace. Britt also performed far better on an edge than through the middle at Souths.

Yh RFM when fit can be your versatile forward that can also play tight or wide, but idealy tight where he looked so good last season. To'omaga needs to be locked in on the bench, Ogden another I hope that gets an opportunity because we need more powerful runners through the middle and not more toilet type players.
 

DogsOfWar1704

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I heard Crichton was injured not
Meaney?
 
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