2144superman
Kennel Legend
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2010
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Canterbury officials might be acting as if they are handling the club’s predicament in a calm and calculated manner.
Don’t be fooled, behind the scenes there’s a mad scramble.
And it’s not just coach Dean Pay who has his work cut out.
Chief executive Andrew Hill has gone to ground and the mail is pretty strong some influential backroom powerbrokers are growing restless with chair Lynne Anderson.
This really has the potential to explode.
While all the heat has been on Pay publicly, at least he continues to take responsibility for where the team is placed.
Yet others don’t seem nearly as comfortable sharing accountability.
It makes you wonder how they could be leaving it to just the coach given the famous Bulldogs brand is still without a major sponsor, and others aren’t exactly lining up.
While the new board did not appoint Pay, they will want to make sure if they punt him they don’t just recruit another young coach to try and fix problems not of Pay’s making.
It is crystal-clear Canterbury needs experience in the key spine positions and if they don’t sign the right players for next year nothing is going to change, no matter who is coach.
Only now has Pay been in a position where he has the salary cap space to go fishing. But as if any player is going to sign if they don’t know who’s in charge.
It’s a joke that the club didn’t let Pay sign Josh Reynolds, even if it was for just this year.
I can’t imagine any other coach getting told he couldn’t bring in a player of his choice for such a bargain price.
Imagine pulling that stunt on Wayne Bennett or Ricky Stuart.
CONTRACT CAPERS: AXED STAR IN DEMAND
Take it as read several NRL clubs are waiting anxiously to see if dumped Canterbury Bulldogs backrower Corey Harawira-Naera is allowed to return this year.
Harawira-Naera had his contract deregistered along with former teammate Jayden Okunbor for off-field behaviour while on a pre-season trip to Port Macquarie.
While the Bulldogs took a hard-line stance, others were not so disgusted with their alleged behaviour, including the NRL’s chief gender adviser Catharine Lumby.
Lumby said at the time “they have done nothing criminal as far as we know”.
Harawira-Naera’s appeal is set to be heard in the very near future.
Clubs have until August 3 to register players. If Harawira-Naera is allowed to return expect the chase to be immediate and frantic.