Andrew Webster (SMH)

[Riggs80]

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.

that is true look at Stuart , one season at the eels and he quit , saw the board were a shambles

 

[Riggs80]

One thing I want to say on REYNOLDS they did the absolute best call not signing him .
- even as loan deal his injuries last 2 years and even his final year at dogs was not worth the risk

‘but more importantly, his off field issues (even tho he has been shown to be innocent) meant he could not come back , yes the media was fairly nice to him , but narrative would have been far different if he played at the dogs and not tigers . Also after the port Mac scandal that video clip of him, even tho there was reasonable explanation would not have been looked highly by potential sponsors as that would link it to culture at club

finally , the way I see it , he left the dogs and chased the money (he was still offered a contract albeit possibly a shit one ) so I don’t see why the dogs should bow to pressure to take him back because he gets no game time or misses the joint He made his bed and can lie in it . don’t forget there was the media campaign for him to return last season

 

[GA45]

So much shit in the article and most of it caused by the media !!

 

[Spoonman84]

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..

To be honest I don't have much faith in them making the right call without media pressure either.

All the club's issues have been left to fester for the last few weeks. Either the club deal with the issues or get more media savvy and at least fob off the media until they do sort it.

 

[TABOO]

Haha wow. I've seen a lot of terrible 'articles' in the media of late but this is right up there. Just regurgitating endless unfounded rumours and then manipulating these to suit his agenda.
The club stuffed up the negotiation of Reynolds? No, they nailed it if we were going to pay that much.
Elliot our best player in the last 3 years?
Good try champ.

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Haha imagine using CHN and the cap as an excuse for his coaching ability rather than everything else that represents his clear lack of tactical nous.

Hooper was honest about Pay recently in the DT so it's natural SMH went the other way.

 

[TwinTurbo]

I can understand why the "hate on Pay at any costs" gang don't agree with Elliot's improved form again this season. One of their mind numbingly endless complaints is that no one has improved under Pay and admitting that Elliott has actual stepped up his game each year for the last 3 goes completely against that complaint. So they deny it, ignore the facts, change the subject, insult the poster that points it out, or the journalist that acknowledges it ........... anything to avoid facing up to the truth, that their "Pay hate" can't handle.

Go Dogs

 

[Psycho Doggie]

that is true look at Stuart , one season at the eels and he quit , saw the board were a shambles

Best thing he could have done for them too. It still took a little while to clean up the rot, but by leaving in the way he did he sent a major signal. Trouble for Pay is this is his first head coach gig, if he quits (which he should), he isn't going to get another. His only chance is to somehow turn things around, so he is sticking around in the wild hope that something will change.

In the meantime, things just keep getting worse.

 

[flamebouyant]

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.

Another groundhog day story.

 

[B-Train]

I can understand why the "hate on Pay at any costs" gang don't agree with Elliot's improved form again this season. One of their mind numbingly endless complaints is that no one has improved under Pay and admitting that Elliott has actual stepped up his game each year for the last 3 goes completely against that complaint. So they deny it, ignore the facts, change the subject, insult the poster that points it out, or the journalist that acknowledges it ........... anything to avoid facing up to the truth, that their "Pay hate" can't handle.

Go Dogs

One player that improved under Pay in three seasons (let's ignore Elliott's first season where he looked really good) and you carry on as if he's Jack Gibson.

Please elaborate TwinTurbo, who else aside from Elliott has improved under Pay's brilliant coaching?

And who is to say Elliott improved just because of Pay? Does Elliott himself deserve no credit? I think it's more because he got in great shape during the offseason (unlike the rest of the squad), was given huge minutes on a horrible team to showcase himself and had the extra motivation of playing for a contract.

 

[Spoonman84]

I can understand why the "hate on Pay at any costs" gang don't agree with Elliot's improved form again this season. One of their mind numbingly endless complaints is that no one has improved under Pay and admitting that Elliott has actual stepped up his game each year for the last 3 goes completely against that complaint. So they deny it, ignore the facts, change the subject, insult the poster that points it out, or the journalist that acknowledges it ........... anything to avoid facing up to the truth, that their "Pay hate" can't handle.

Go Dogs

You'd kind of hope that a bloke in his 5th year of first grade was showing some type of improvements.

You could be right and Pay bought out the best in Adam this year or he might have finally found his feet in the NRL after years of inconsistent football. He's still got plenty to work on mind you.

 

[Baby Blues]

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.

I assume you are excluding original and Australian coaches in that statement?
Hasler and Green won premierships a lot more recently than Stuart did.

 

[B-Train]

Another groundhog day story.

It's been groundhog day for five years. And some fans and sections of the media would be happy if it lasted another two or three years.

 

[bradtalo]

If we sign a 33 year old Blake Green what a joke. If we're after someone at that age get James Maloney. I would expect the club to be signing a much younger half for next year though in Jackson Hastings or Matt Burton. This is a priority. If they can't get a deal done with Hastings or Burton then they're f..king useless IMO

 

[_G-Dog_]

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.

LOL.. The Andersons have been all talk .. delivered nothing but failure so far..

 

[Bazildog]

This story is just another example of what I was referring to about blood in the water.. The media know that there is something up in the background so they are just pouring petrol on it till they get a fire. Instead of the club hosing it down so that they shut them up, its like they are all standing around the bonfire on cracker night waiting to throw some bungers themselves.

 

[Real1]

elliot.... future origin hahhahahahahahh

 

[Spoonman84]

This story is just another example of what I was referring to about blood in the water.. The media know that there is something up in the background so they are just pouring petrol on it till they get a fire. Instead of the club hosing it down so that they shut them up, its like they are all standing around the bonfire on cracker night waiting to throw some bungers themselves.

It's been handled terribly either take care of the issues or get on the front foot with the media and control the narrative as much as you can.

 

[Papa Emeritus]

wtf even is this article?

• How is Reynolds a botched retention? The guy is shit. All he offers is enthusiasm and errors.
• Pay lacks good assistant coaches? Maybe, but that should be no excuse for his own shit coaching, for example his shocking positional decisions and overall team selections
• Adam Elliott is our most consistent player? Why is there suddenly a media wankfest over the human propeller this year? He has always been error ridden and mediocre at best (overall)

I am ok if Anderson gets the punt, I am not really seeing any delivery on her big promises. If she delivers a proper coach then I would be happy with her staying on. That is foremost what we need.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

This story is just another example of what I was referring to about blood in the water.. The media know that there is something up in the background so they are just pouring petrol on it till they get a fire. Instead of the club hosing it down so that they shut them up, its like they are all standing around the bonfire on cracker night waiting to throw some bungers themselves.

Everyone knows that there's "something up", plenty of people aren't happy and the clubs leaking like crazy as a result.