Andrew Webster (SMH)

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Nobody eats their own quite like Canterbury. At Belmore, they eat each other's livers with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

They're about to chew up and spit out coach Dean Pay unless a divided football club board starts backing him and divisive figures at Canterbury Leagues Club stop causing mayhem in the background.


With each passing week, and each Bulldogs' loss, rumours emerge about the dirty tricks being played amid the smoke and mirrors.


Stories about the club wanting to replace Pay with Craig Bellamy, or Wayne Bennett, or even rugby's Eddie Jones, are leaked with the sole intention of stirring the pot and causing trouble.


Do the people spreading this stuff have themselves or their beloved club at heart? You have to wonder.


Canterbury have always been riven with internal politics, but some of the machinations of late prompts one influential figure to offer this: "We're starting to look like the old Parramatta".


Yuck.


Stuck in the middle of all this is Pay, who's off contract at the end of the season and coaching for his professional life.


His side plays the Broncos on Saturday night and while English import Luke Thompson is expected to revel under the NRL's new ruck rules, the Bulldogs are outsiders. Against the Broncos. Who have lost their last six.


Chair Lynne Anderson has hardly backed Pay publicly and the constant speculation is paralysing.


The criticism of the last board, headed by chairman Ray Dib, was that it never "backed or sacked" coach Des Hasler.


He was re-signed but then endured 18 months of speculation about his future. In the end, the uncertainty cost Hasler, Dib and then-chief executive Raelene Castle their positions.


Now, with the Bulldogs rooted to the bottom of the ladder with just one win, the uncertainty is preventing them from signing a major sponsor and recruiting quality players.


And Pay is the one on the slab.

Is he a first-grade coach? Given the issues around the salary cap, injuries to key players then this year's sex scandal that led to Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera being deregistered, it's difficult to judge.


But it's no secret at Belmore that he's not getting enough support from above. Some say he's being set up to fail and that's why a decision on his contract, either way, hasn't been forthcoming.

Initially, he had Anderson's husband, Chris, doing the rounds of the dressing-room after matches, telling players what they were doing wrong before he stood down from the board. The theory about Pay not being surrounded by quality assistant coaches also won't go away.


And you'll struggle to find many people at the Bulldogs say Steve Price has had a positive impact since taking over as general manager of football in August last year.


But what's really hurting Pay is the non-recruitment and botched retention of players.


Consider how the club stuffed up negotiations with favourite son Josh Reynolds.

In desperate need of another experienced playmaker, Pay wanted Reynolds back from the Wests Tigers, if only for the remainder of the year.


It’s not commonly known but there was even talk about a loan deal similar to the one between the Tigers and Storm involving Harry Grant.


Reynolds wanted to come home. He would've provided experience, energy and passion. The price tag was only about $300,000.


But the board rejected the idea, preferring to back the squad's emerging talent and local juniors instead.


Which is fair enough if it's prepared to play the long game.

It didn't take long for the youth policy to be abandoned. The Bulldogs are now after Warriors veteran Blake Green, 33, who's been told by the club's owner he's no longer wanted.


Then there's the contract negotiations with Adam Elliott, who has been the club's most consistent player over the last three seasons.


He's off contract, too, and the Bulldogs simply can't afford to let him go. A smart club would have tabled a big, long-term deal to take away endless conjecture about him leaving.


Instead, the Bulldogs low-balled him. So low that his management is talking to other clubs, which are understandably interested given he's a NSW Origin player of the future.


Anderson and her board swept to power in February 2018 on the promise of change. They were the "Reform Ticket", as you might recall, and they triumphed in one of the ugliest football board elections in recent memory.


Anderson promised "nine pillars" as part of her pitch to members. Among them was a promise to introduce "proper governance, process and accountability", "entrench our Bulldogs culture" and "bring respect back to our club".


They are platitudes, sure, but they're also promises that haven't been met in almost two and a half years.


It will be denied but the board is split and there are rumblings that a plot to overthrow Anderson is imminent.


Meanwhile, Dib and former chairman George Peponis have been sounded out about getting the votes together to hold an extraordinary general meeting to blow the whole thing up and start again.


Understandably, they're reluctant to get involved. But any new ticket would require a respected figurehead prepared to put politics and power to one side in order to turn the club around.

The next football club elections will be held in February 2022.


How will the Bulldogs look then? Will they have come out the other side of this current malaise and look like the new Parramatta instead of the old?

And will Pay be a part of it?


In six seasons at Belmore, in more than a hundred matches including the 1995 premiership, Pay was one of the Bulldogs' most ferocious and hard-working forwards.


As one of their own, he deserves better. At the very least, he deserves to know where he stands.
 

B-Train

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Another sob story for Pay. This really is a co-ordinated effort by the media to keep us at the bottom of the ladder.

Never mind Pay's shocking coaching record or how badly the team has regressed under him... Let's feel sorry for the poor helpless (more like hopeless) coach instead and put more pressure on the muppets in charge to re-sign him so we can continue to be a doormat for the next few years.

Fuck this club and the lack of leadership they've shown. They've accepted a loser mentality to the point where the media don't expect us to do any better.
 

Spoonman84

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Anderson has to take control of this situation now or step down its spiralling out of control at a dangerous speed. While there’s a few things in this article Webster has added some salt and pepper too a lot of it hits the the mark.
 

Psycho Doggie

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The club is a shambles, it's obvious that there is infighting, power plays, and egos out of control. We have become like manly or parra in their worst days.

No decent coach is going to come anywhere near us until the board situation is sorted. It's like trying to win a rowing race with half your oarsmen facing the wrong way.
 

Baby Blues

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Am I missing something here? Since when was Elliott a future origin player? That NSW forward pack is stacked. He’d be lucky to make the City vs Country game
 

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Anderson has to take control of this situation now or step down its spiralling out of control at a dangerous speed. While there’s a few things in this article Webster has added some salt and pepper too a lot of it hits the the mark.
I agree, theirs some bits that read true.
 

Spoonman84

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Another sob story for Pay. This really is a co-ordinated effort by the media to keep us at the bottom of the ladder.

Never mind Pay's shocking coaching record or how badly the team has regressed under him... Let's feel sorry for the poor helpless (more like hopeless) coach instead and put more pressure on the muppets in charge to re-sign him so we can continue to be a doormat for the next few years.

Fuck this club and the lack of leadership they've shown. They've accepted a loser mentality to the point where the media don't expect us to do any better.
I don’t read it as a sob story for Pay tbh I see it as more of a shot at Anderson and the club for not making a call on his future.
 

B-Train

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I don’t read it as a sob story for Pay tbh I see it as more of a shot at Anderson and the club for not making a call on his future.
I read it differently. Talking about chewing up and spitting out one of our own, being a club legend and ignoring him defecting and playing half his career with Parra so it suits his agenda..

Webster talks about a lack of signings and Anderson undermining Pay yada yada yada... I'm sick of everyone making excuses for him. I felt the tone of the article was pro Pay and hammering the Andersons for making it hard for him or not giving him resources.. What ever happened to accountability?
 

bricktamland

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Nobody eats their own quite like Canterbury. At Belmore, they eat each other's livers with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

They're about to chew up and spit out coach Dean Pay unless a divided football club board starts backing him and divisive figures at Canterbury Leagues Club stop causing mayhem in the background.


With each passing week, and each Bulldogs' loss, rumours emerge about the dirty tricks being played amid the smoke and mirrors.


Stories about the club wanting to replace Pay with Craig Bellamy, or Wayne Bennett, or even rugby's Eddie Jones, are leaked with the sole intention of stirring the pot and causing trouble.


Do the people spreading this stuff have themselves or their beloved club at heart? You have to wonder.


Canterbury have always been riven with internal politics, but some of the machinations of late prompts one influential figure to offer this: "We're starting to look like the old Parramatta".


Yuck.


Stuck in the middle of all this is Pay, who's off contract at the end of the season and coaching for his professional life.


His side plays the Broncos on Saturday night and while English import Luke Thompson is expected to revel under the NRL's new ruck rules, the Bulldogs are outsiders. Against the Broncos. Who have lost their last six.


Chair Lynne Anderson has hardly backed Pay publicly and the constant speculation is paralysing.


The criticism of the last board, headed by chairman Ray Dib, was that it never "backed or sacked" coach Des Hasler.


He was re-signed but then endured 18 months of speculation about his future. In the end, the uncertainty cost Hasler, Dib and then-chief executive Raelene Castle their positions.


Now, with the Bulldogs rooted to the bottom of the ladder with just one win, the uncertainty is preventing them from signing a major sponsor and recruiting quality players.


And Pay is the one on the slab.

Is he a first-grade coach? Given the issues around the salary cap, injuries to key players then this year's sex scandal that led to Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera being deregistered, it's difficult to judge.


But it's no secret at Belmore that he's not getting enough support from above. Some say he's being set up to fail and that's why a decision on his contract, either way, hasn't been forthcoming.

Initially, he had Anderson's husband, Chris, doing the rounds of the dressing-room after matches, telling players what they were doing wrong before he stood down from the board. The theory about Pay not being surrounded by quality assistant coaches also won't go away.


And you'll struggle to find many people at the Bulldogs say Steve Price has had a positive impact since taking over as general manager of football in August last year.


But what's really hurting Pay is the non-recruitment and botched retention of players.


Consider how the club stuffed up negotiations with favourite son Josh Reynolds.

In desperate need of another experienced playmaker, Pay wanted Reynolds back from the Wests Tigers, if only for the remainder of the year.


It’s not commonly known but there was even talk about a loan deal similar to the one between the Tigers and Storm involving Harry Grant.


Reynolds wanted to come home. He would've provided experience, energy and passion. The price tag was only about $300,000.


But the board rejected the idea, preferring to back the squad's emerging talent and local juniors instead.


Which is fair enough if it's prepared to play the long game.

It didn't take long for the youth policy to be abandoned. The Bulldogs are now after Warriors veteran Blake Green, 33, who's been told by the club's owner he's no longer wanted.


Then there's the contract negotiations with Adam Elliott, who has been the club's most consistent player over the last three seasons.


He's off contract, too, and the Bulldogs simply can't afford to let him go. A smart club would have tabled a big, long-term deal to take away endless conjecture about him leaving.


Instead, the Bulldogs low-balled him. So low that his management is talking to other clubs, which are understandably interested given he's a NSW Origin player of the future.


Anderson and her board swept to power in February 2018 on the promise of change. They were the "Reform Ticket", as you might recall, and they triumphed in one of the ugliest football board elections in recent memory.


Anderson promised "nine pillars" as part of her pitch to members. Among them was a promise to introduce "proper governance, process and accountability", "entrench our Bulldogs culture" and "bring respect back to our club".


They are platitudes, sure, but they're also promises that haven't been met in almost two and a half years.


It will be denied but the board is split and there are rumblings that a plot to overthrow Anderson is imminent.


Meanwhile, Dib and former chairman George Peponis have been sounded out about getting the votes together to hold an extraordinary general meeting to blow the whole thing up and start again.


Understandably, they're reluctant to get involved. But any new ticket would require a respected figurehead prepared to put politics and power to one side in order to turn the club around.

The next football club elections will be held in February 2022.


How will the Bulldogs look then? Will they have come out the other side of this current malaise and look like the new Parramatta instead of the old?

And will Pay be a part of it?


In six seasons at Belmore, in more than a hundred matches including the 1995 premiership, Pay was one of the Bulldogs' most ferocious and hard-working forwards.


As one of their own, he deserves better. At the very least, he deserves to know where he stands.
Who even listens to this flog on the footy show he barley says good shit about us and jizzes over the roosters
 

JackDog

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Another story founded on “rumours”. Since when has a former players on field ability ever translated to being able to coach? Ricky is probably only recent one, and he’s had plenty of fails at other clubs.

Josh’s offer swings wildly in the media from “a song” to $400k.

Even if Webster’s $300k figure is accurate, that’s for half a season. Considering his injury record, that’s insane
 

Spoonman84

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I read it differently. Talking about chewing up and spitting out one of our own, being a club legend and ignoring him defecting and playing half his career with Parra so it suits his agenda..

Webster talks about a lack of signings and Anderson undermining Pay yada yada yada... I'm sick of everyone making excuses for him. What ever happened to accountability?
He’s not saying Pay should be re-signed though. The club hasn’t done Pay many favours while he’s been here. He’s had plenty of things to work against so I don’t think you can just ignore that. In saying that he’s not the coach we need going forward.

Dragging out this decision isn’t doing anyone any good and reflects very badly on the board. They just need to sort it ASAP.
 

Chris Harding

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Another sob story for Pay. This really is a co-ordinated effort by the media to keep us at the bottom of the ladder.

Never mind Pay's shocking coaching record or how badly the team has regressed under him... Let's feel sorry for the poor helpless (more like hopeless) coach instead and put more pressure on the muppets in charge to re-sign him so we can continue to be a doormat for the next few years.

Fuck this club and the lack of leadership they've shown. They've accepted a loser mentality to the point where the media don't expect us to do any better.
More like a regurgitation of the Kennel over the past six months.. He doesn't quote a single first hand source.
 

berries1935

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I agree with most of this, 1 thing that is coming apparent is that the journalists are not going to stop until their are some decisions made. They could right a story every day until our board start making decisions on Pay, start making signings
 

Cosmo24

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Maybe he should write an article on Pay’s coaching ability if he thinks Elliott was our most consistent player over the last 3 years
 

ash160

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I don’t see any coach available right now worth signing.

Here’s a plan...Bennett wants to go back to QLD he could go to Titans and he’d get Fifita on board.

We get Holbrook
 

Chris Harding

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"Now, with the Bulldogs rooted to the bottom of the ladder with just one win, the uncertainty is preventing them from signing a major sponsor and recruiting quality players".

Is it the uncertainty that prevents us getting a sponsor? Or the fact we cannot get a free to air game?
Who would outlay good money to put their brand on a team that gets no TV exposure; and only has old photos, with previous sponsors, splashed across the headlines when there is bad news?

Even the ABC, on a recent program dealing with problem gambling, used footage of the Dogs when they talked about gambling and the NRL.
 

CrittaMagic69

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Can we just accept that Pay and the Anderson's and friends are all fucking shit.
 

Malla

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Is Webster fair dinkum? Has he not had a look at this team at all over the last 3 years? We have struggled to sign any talent because nobody wants to be coached by Pay, when we do sign talent we have struggled to sustain their talent at an NRL level - they go backwards. Look at Napa, DWZ as examples.

Cute story tho.
 

B-Train

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He’s not saying Pay should be re-signed though. The club hasn’t done Pay many favours while he’s been here. He’s had plenty of things to work against so I don’t think you can just ignore that. In saying that he’s not the coach we need going forward.

Dragging out this decision isn’t doing anyone any good and reflects very badly on the board. They just need to sort it ASAP.
My fear is that the Andersons will see the support in the media for Pay and take a political stance that they need to extend Pay to keep their family club values. They'll put their image ahead of what's best for the club.

They're so indecisive that I can't see them letting him go. They'll just cave and extend him and hope that everything magically fixes itself and the noise goes away. Which it won't..
 
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