A number of new Bulldogs recruits are reportedly “surprised” by coach Trent Barrett’s lack of detail during pre-season.
After collecting the wooden spoon in his first season with the club, Barrett already goes into the 2022 season under immense pressure.
It was expected that the signing of big-name players Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Junior and Paul Vaughan among others would lift the spirits at Belmore.
However, it seems that may not be the case with
News Corp journalist Phil Rothfield revealing on NRL 360 that some recruits believes the quality of training during pre-season at the Bulldogs is below what they’ve experienced at rival clubs.
“He’s under big pressure,” Rothfield said.
“There’s a couple of new players that have arrived at the club — I’m not going to name them — they’re not critical of Baz but they’re surprised that their pre-season wasn’t as detailed as what they’ve come to from their other organisations.
“I’m giving players up but even different drills, there’s a lot more camerawork that goes on with drones at the clubs they came from and then they’ll go and sit down and go through it all.”
Paul Kent added: “Just about every club uses drones now,” to which Rothfield responded “well Canterbury don’t. I might be wrong but I’ve got him favourite to be the first coach sacked, ahead of Michael Maguire.”
NRL 360 host and former Bulldogs five-eighth Braith Anasta said it was “not a good sign” and pressed Rothfield on his claims.
“So you think the players are complaining about the coach already and they just got there?” he asked.
But Rothfield couldn’t give any more detail.
“They won’t do it publicly,” he said.
Kent backed up Rothfield’s reports and also said that he expects football manager Phil Gould to watch how the opening rounds play out before making any moves.
“I’ve heard not as much as a complaint, but more that they were surprised that there’s not that attention to detail that they’re used to,” Kent said.
“I dare say ‘Gus’ will sit back for six weeks and let it all unfold and see what happens, he’s just sharpening his sword.
Anasta, who admitted earlier that he was “concerned” that the Bulldogs are still played the same style in the trials, believes there’s another issue unfolding at the club — the halves.
Going off the Bulldogs’ last trial against the Sharks, Barrett is expected to name Jake Averillo at halfback partnering five-eighth Matt Burton.
Anasta, who won a premiership with the Bulldogs in 2004, told
foxsports.com.au last month that he’d
give Flanagan the first shot at partnering Burton.
He was shocked to see Flanagan not get a chance to play alongside Burton in the trial and questioned why Barrett wouldn’t at least try the combination.
“What surprised me out of the trials is that they need a genuine seven and the only genuine seven at that club, that I think, other than Brandon Wakeham, is Kyle Flanagan,” he said.
“He didn’t give it one minute to see if Flanagan complemented Burton in that second trial against the Sharks. It just seems like he’s put a line through Kyle, but they still don’t have a seven so why wouldn’t you just test the waters in trials?”
Fox League’s James Hooper noted that it looked as if there was some “friction” between Barrett and Flanagan in the sheds after the 30-6 loss.
“The body language wasn’t great after that last trial game against the Sharks, I watched it inside the dressing rooms... Kyle comes in and sits down, Baz just walks straight past him... so it does look as though there’s some friction there,” he said.
That is where Barrett is going wrong, according to Anasta.
“You’ve got to cuddle your halves... (Wayne) Bennett, (Craig) Bellamy, (Trent) Robinson, that’s why they’re the best,” he said.
“You cuddle your halves, they’re your most important players, you don’t knock the confidence out of them. That’s where Flanagan looks like he’s at, at the moment.”
There were rumours circulating at the end of last season that the Bulldogs were looking to offload Flanagan, however Gould refuted them.
The 23-year-old is signed on a deal said to be worth $450,000-per season until the end of 2023.
Rothfield believes it’d be a messy situation if the Dogs were to axe Flanagan due to a close connection.
“It’s a really difficult situation for Trent Barrett, he’s managed by Wayne Beavis, so is Kyle Flanagan and so is Phil Gould,” he said.
“How are they going to cut him now with the manager involved?”
