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THE Bulldogs are close to announcing they’ve tied up three of the hottest young properties in the NRL.
Moses Mbye, Josh Jackson and Dave Klemmer have all been chased by opposition clubs at various stages over the last 12 months, so their decision to stay at Belmore is cause for celebration for Canterbury fans.
The re-signing news will have a ripple effect that will reach beyond the four walls at Bulldogs HQ.
Here’s five burning questions that still remain.
Where does it leave the Bulldogs?
Having all three young stars recommitted to the Dogs is further affirmation of the club’s ability to attract and retain the stars they want.
Mbye is considered one of the competition’s hottest young halves and was wanted by both the Storm and the Dragons as a player they could build their future around.
Klemmer and Jackson were both discussed as potential recruits by Manly — a club having plenty of success pinching opposition stars — among others, yet they all saw Canterbury as the club they wanted to make home.
The Bulldogs have had to invest a large chunk of their salary cap on retaining the trio — about $8 million over four years — which is likely to leave off-contract teammates Greg Eastwood, Tony Williams, Shaun Lane and Curtis Rona with some big decisions to make on their futures.
Who are the other clubs impacted?
The Storm, Dragons and Manly will be particularly disappointed by this re-signing news because it leaves them short of some key planks for the future.
The Storm have been well served in the playmaking ranks over the last decade but with Cooper Cronk coming off contract at the end of this season and understood to be seriously entertaining a move to a Sydney club and Blake Green approaching 30, there’s some real urgency for them to find their next great halfback.
We now know that won’t be Mbye.
It’s a similar story for the Dragons, with consistent reports that this will be Benji Marshall’s last season at the club.
Kurt Mann’s been brought in as a playmaking option but hasn’t yet proven he’s got the quality to build a roster around.
Manly have already brought in a slew of new talent to beef up their forward pack, but there’s a feeling the club is still a player short in the front row, which was why Klemmer was such an attractive option.
What does it mean for the future?
Things are looking pretty bright in Belmore with a list of young players capable of taking the club to its next premiership already being locked away together for the next three years and beyond.
Joining Mbye, Klemmer and Jackson on long-term contracts are boom Kiwi fullback Brad Abbey (2018), young centre Kerrod Holland (2017), Will Hopoate (2017), Sam Kasiano (2018), Michael Lichaa (2017) and young prop Lloyd Perrett (2018).
With those players all 25 and under to be guided through by skipper James Graham (2018), and the Morris twins (both 2018) the next three seasons shape as an exciting time out at Belmore.
Does this shore up Hasler’s job?
Des Hasler is one of the most successful coaches of the past decade with two premierships with Manly and two grand finals since arriving at the Bulldogs in 2012.
However, coaches like Hasler are measured on trophies and with a top drawer roster and more money spent on the football department at Belmore than anywhere else, for the first time there’s a vague sense that the Professor needs to take his side all the way sooner rather than later.
The re-signings of Mbye, Klemmer and Jackson are a show of faith in the coach as much as any other aspect of the club, which is further demonstrated by Mbye’s insistence that he have a clause inserted in his contract allowing him to cut ties with Canterbury if Hasler left.
The Dogs won’t heed that request, with CEO Raelene Castle explaining that it’s never been the way the club has operated, but it speaks to the coach’s reputation as the most influential figure at the club.
He won’t be going anywhere for some time yet and with this trio staying along for the ride, he’s got every chance of delivering on that premiership the club is desperate for.
Who are the next big stars in demand?
As always, when big names put pen to paper it shakes up the transfer market and moves the target onto the chest of a new batch of off-contract stars.
As has already been the case for much of the off-season, the most intrigue surrounds superstar halfback Cronk and his potential move to a new club in 2017.
Outside Cronk, there’s plenty of other stars on the ‘in-demand’ list, including playmaking talents Luke Brooks, Kane Elgey, Corey Norman and Luke Keary, veterans Benji Marshall, Michael Ennis and Sam Moa, Cowboys premiership winner Lachlan Coote and Panthers livewire James Segeyaro.
Source
Moses Mbye, Josh Jackson and Dave Klemmer have all been chased by opposition clubs at various stages over the last 12 months, so their decision to stay at Belmore is cause for celebration for Canterbury fans.
The re-signing news will have a ripple effect that will reach beyond the four walls at Bulldogs HQ.
Here’s five burning questions that still remain.
Where does it leave the Bulldogs?
Having all three young stars recommitted to the Dogs is further affirmation of the club’s ability to attract and retain the stars they want.
Mbye is considered one of the competition’s hottest young halves and was wanted by both the Storm and the Dragons as a player they could build their future around.
Klemmer and Jackson were both discussed as potential recruits by Manly — a club having plenty of success pinching opposition stars — among others, yet they all saw Canterbury as the club they wanted to make home.
The Bulldogs have had to invest a large chunk of their salary cap on retaining the trio — about $8 million over four years — which is likely to leave off-contract teammates Greg Eastwood, Tony Williams, Shaun Lane and Curtis Rona with some big decisions to make on their futures.
Who are the other clubs impacted?
The Storm, Dragons and Manly will be particularly disappointed by this re-signing news because it leaves them short of some key planks for the future.
The Storm have been well served in the playmaking ranks over the last decade but with Cooper Cronk coming off contract at the end of this season and understood to be seriously entertaining a move to a Sydney club and Blake Green approaching 30, there’s some real urgency for them to find their next great halfback.
We now know that won’t be Mbye.
It’s a similar story for the Dragons, with consistent reports that this will be Benji Marshall’s last season at the club.
Kurt Mann’s been brought in as a playmaking option but hasn’t yet proven he’s got the quality to build a roster around.
Manly have already brought in a slew of new talent to beef up their forward pack, but there’s a feeling the club is still a player short in the front row, which was why Klemmer was such an attractive option.
What does it mean for the future?
Things are looking pretty bright in Belmore with a list of young players capable of taking the club to its next premiership already being locked away together for the next three years and beyond.
Joining Mbye, Klemmer and Jackson on long-term contracts are boom Kiwi fullback Brad Abbey (2018), young centre Kerrod Holland (2017), Will Hopoate (2017), Sam Kasiano (2018), Michael Lichaa (2017) and young prop Lloyd Perrett (2018).
With those players all 25 and under to be guided through by skipper James Graham (2018), and the Morris twins (both 2018) the next three seasons shape as an exciting time out at Belmore.
Does this shore up Hasler’s job?
Des Hasler is one of the most successful coaches of the past decade with two premierships with Manly and two grand finals since arriving at the Bulldogs in 2012.
However, coaches like Hasler are measured on trophies and with a top drawer roster and more money spent on the football department at Belmore than anywhere else, for the first time there’s a vague sense that the Professor needs to take his side all the way sooner rather than later.
The re-signings of Mbye, Klemmer and Jackson are a show of faith in the coach as much as any other aspect of the club, which is further demonstrated by Mbye’s insistence that he have a clause inserted in his contract allowing him to cut ties with Canterbury if Hasler left.
The Dogs won’t heed that request, with CEO Raelene Castle explaining that it’s never been the way the club has operated, but it speaks to the coach’s reputation as the most influential figure at the club.
He won’t be going anywhere for some time yet and with this trio staying along for the ride, he’s got every chance of delivering on that premiership the club is desperate for.
Who are the next big stars in demand?
As always, when big names put pen to paper it shakes up the transfer market and moves the target onto the chest of a new batch of off-contract stars.
As has already been the case for much of the off-season, the most intrigue surrounds superstar halfback Cronk and his potential move to a new club in 2017.
Outside Cronk, there’s plenty of other stars on the ‘in-demand’ list, including playmaking talents Luke Brooks, Kane Elgey, Corey Norman and Luke Keary, veterans Benji Marshall, Michael Ennis and Sam Moa, Cowboys premiership winner Lachlan Coote and Panthers livewire James Segeyaro.
Source