News Are the Bulldogs on their way to buying a premiership?

[KambahOne]

Every club tries to buy the premiership every year, it's called recruitment and retention.

 

[Bulldog Wrestler]

It's up to every club to do whatever they can to win a Premiership. Which at times, includes buying players. If it's within the rules, "buying a Premiership" is a superfluous argument. If it's via the creative accounting practices and other nefarious means (allegedly) employed by certain clubs, then it's open to scrutiny.

 

[Malla]

Yep, those back ended deals absolutely fucked us until next year. I bet Fifita didn’t say the real reason his contract was torn up by the dogs though

Course not

 

[Mitch Connor]

And what would that reason be?

 

[oldpuppy]

Having read the article again, I thought it was a glowing endorsement on where we are now. The criticism was directed at two boards ago. Nothing more to it.

 

[D- voice]

Trent Barrett continues to sign quality players, so who will be to arrive at Belmore?

If there was ever any evidence required to highlight just how dire the Canterbury Bulldogs’ salary cap problems had become just a few years back, their recent spending spree provides it.

The books at the Kennel had become well and truly cooked under the stewardship of former Chairman Ray Dib and his board, not in an illegal sense of course, just in the sense that the finances were fried.

It was a disaster that saw a host of loyal and quality players moved on to make space for a 2021 recruitment push that the new board had promised would occur. In essence, the Bulldogs wrote off the last two seasons; knowing full well that there was little or no chance they would be competitive.

The team has well and truly lived up to that billing. With only a late 2019 run providing any joy for fans, the 2020 pandemic-riddled season saw the blue and whites manage to accumulate just three wins and only avoid the wooden spoon thanks to the disaster that was the Brisbane Broncos.

However, there is hope in the air as the 2021 pre-season begins and Canterbury looms as the big short-to-mid-term NRL improver; based not only on the new talent already acquired but also a certain young man from the west who will arrive at Belmore in 2022.

The origins of what fans will hope is a Bulldog resurgence perhaps began in the death throes of the 2020 season, with Englishman Luke Thompson beginning to find his feet in the NRL. After adjusting to the pace of the game in his first few matches, there were real signs that Canterbury had indeed found the enforcer type they had been looking for ever since James Graham departed the club in 2017.

Canberra and representative powerhouse Nick Cotric has joined the club; no doubt to bolster what was the most impotent backline in the competition, with former Sharks and Roosters half Kyle Flanagan also signing with the club in October.

Without an effective halves combination in recent times and numerous men having been given the opportunity to cement a role in the six or seven, Canterbury has finally seen the reality before their very eyes; investing in a 22-year-old with immense upside and a player far greater skilled in the playmaker role than the men currently at the club.

This week, the club revealed a poorly kept secret and a major coup when they announced the acquisition of young Penrith star Matt Burton for the 2022 season and the two years to follow. With just six NRL games under his belt, the Dubbo-born 20-year-old looms as a new NRL star; something the Bulldogs have now heavily invested in.

Destined for the number six jersey, Burton’s combination with Flanagan could well be a decisive one come 2022.

Along with the important re-signings of captain Josh Jackson, Jayden Okunbor, Jake Averillo, Will Hopoate and Adam Elliott, the core of the Dogs’ team instantly looks far more impressive than it has for some time.

Some may have even underestimated just how much cash has been freed up by recent departures and players off-contract at the end of 2021 such as Dylan Napa, Nick Meaney, Lachlan Lewis, Christian Chrichton and Sione Katoa.

That underestimation is perhaps confirmed when one considers the fact that the club is reportedly in the hunt for the services of New South Wales star Josh Addo-Carr and another wonder kid from the foot of the mountains in the shape of Stephen Crichton.

The idea of a backline including Hopoate, Addo-Carr, Cotric, Crichton and Okunbur will have the Bulldogs faithful giddy with excitement, especially with Burton and Flanagan calling the shots around the ruck.

It all sounds like a little too much to ask. However, CEO Andrew Hill has brought in a powerful new sponsor in the form of Laundy Hotels and already delivered Cotric, Burton and Flanagan. If Hill’s pockets are as deep as many people believe, another key signing could well be announced sooner rather than later.

Should the trend continue and the big names draw more key men to Belmore, it would be easy to find reasons why new coach Trent Barrett could have the team challenging very quickly. Perhaps even a new three-year premiership window has opened for the famous club.

It would be a window well bought but in modern rugby league, that is usually the way.

The corrupt Media is at it again...
They celebrated as they pretending to care for us when we lost our players !
They Laughed at our performances but credit us for trying hard !
They attempted to derail the rebuild of our team and failed !
They now accuse us of trying to buy a premiership !!!
Someone has to tell these stupid so called experts...
1 Flanagan, has1 year first grade experience.
2 Burton, a 20 year old with a handful of first grade games.
3 Hetherington, a bench player at Penrith at best.
4 Waddell, the same as Hetherington.
Yes Cotric and Thompson good and experienced but hardly world-beaters !
I will repeat what someone else said on TK, it's not like our team is star-studded and still manage to buy Tedesco & Cronk !!!
So to all these corrupt puppets, if you truly care for the game you should report on all the teams equally and fairly !!!
Do you think you could do or allowed to do that ???

 

[Kelpie03]

Every club tries to buy the premiership every year, it's called recruitment and retention.

VERY TRUE MATE; but not all clubs do it within the rules of the NRL

 

[halfcast]

great to see we are moving forward..long way off from having a tilt at winning a comp..9 is a big problem

 

[Kelpie03]

No but put it this way. So many average players on more $ than need be.

Napa and hoppa eating over 1.2-1.3 together.

Lewis and jmk over 600k together.

Then britt meaney smith Crichton .

Keep in mind burton eats greens $

We have cap space now and r Smith gone. I’d say that covers jac with what’s left and smiths $

1.8-1.9 would cover almost b Smith, leinu and staggs/Crichton.

We are set for a big spree! Thankfully!

Then another year of Dwz and jacko and are free of more!

I'm fairly certain that JJ is contracted till the end of 2023, not sure about DWZ

 

[steeliz]

No, TBAZ is just doing what should have been done years ago, he’s got the smarts and his actions are doing the talking, he gets shit done.!!! And it’s very refreshing.

The salary cap would not have allowed it years ago.

Barrett is the right man at the right TIME.

 

[GDR]

I'm pretty sure the Journalist that wrote this is a bulldogs supporter..

 

[Tassie Devil]

Find it hilarious that people talk about the Dogs buying a premiership.

It's absolutely natural at any club for a new coach to come in and buy players that fit his vision for the way he plays. It's standard. Across all sports. Even in winning teams, the new coach will always have a different approach to the game which needs a new approach to player recruitment.

Now, let's look at teams that aren't doing well. As in, a team that narrowly missed the spoon. Add to that a team that's been able to finally use the salary cap for the first time in 3 years. And a team that's pretty much had zero decent juniors coming through for the last 3+ years.

Of course the Dogs are going to spend. We can talk as much as we want about "Born and bred not bought" but that's simply naive thinking. Will it mean less if we apparently 'buy a premiership'? Fuck no. Do you think Rorter fans feel worse because they bought their premierships?

 

[Como Dog]

Don't think we are buying our way to a premiership - other than Cotric and potentially JAC, all of our signings are young players yet to really establish themselves in first grade. Looks promising for now, but we are still way off even being a top 4 team.

On the topic of buying, Was listening to Bloke in a Bar podcast with Fifita and apparently Hasler and Castled offered him a 4 year deal (reported at 800k a year) but in actual fact it was 150k for the first 2 seasons and then 1.5mil a year for the remining 2 years.

What an absolute farce, think of the other players we would have had on similar deals trough the Castle and Hasler. Absolutely left us decimated to the point where we haven't even had a quality junior come through the ranks over the last 5-6 years.

Mindblowing!!!!

Makes me question the ethics of these deals too. Was Hasler's and Castle's game plan to sign players on unders early in the deal, then force the player to want to leave early by dropping them and making life miserable in the final year, so that they forfeit a large part of the deal? Eg telling Eastwood he would be in reserves all year for his final 800k year if he stayed.

 

[Como Dog]

Does anyone know if we’re paying freight on any ex players next season, or is that hell now completely finished?

Yep ...Greg Eastwood is still getting 800k per season in retirement.

 

[LordSidious66]

Yep, those back ended deals absolutely fucked us until next year. I bet Fifita didn’t say the real reason his contract was torn up by the dogs though

Didn't he say that he would have rather go to rugby union instead of us on the footy show, rather than us a day after he signed with us?

 

[Natboy]

Didn't he say that he would have rather go to rugby union instead of us on the footy show, rather than us a day after he signed with us?

He did but the main reason was when he was at his brothers bucks weekend and tried to jump from a high rise balcony and ended up in a mental hospital

 

[D- voice]

VERY TRUE MATE; but not all clubs do it within the rules of the NRL

I could name 5 clubs

 

[The DoggFather]

Stuart Thomas a wannabe Flog

Didn't this dud post on here? Or is that another flog?

 

[alchemist]

Yes

 

[Bluebarry]

Where do I send a cheque for chipping in , bought or stolen I don't give a F , just make it happen