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Canterbury are expected to stick by embattled coach Dean Pay following a Thursday morning board meeting – but his short-term reprieve may have a drastic impact on their recruitment.
The Bulldogs have just one win from their opening six games and it leaves the club one spot off bottom.
With their coach off contract later this year, Canterbury were eager to monitor their team’s performance before offering him an extension.
The sooner the better for the Bulldogs who, after years in the doldrums, will have the full salary cap to use in 2021 to the tune of around $3 million.
The uncertainty over Pay’s future is said to be having a knock on effect on their recruitment and their retention.
Players are cautious of heading to the Dogs if they are not sure who the coach will be.
The likes of Wayne Bennett, England coach Shaun Wane and Craig Bellamy have all been linked with the role, while the likes of Anthony Griffin, Nathan Brown and Geoff Toovey are all free agents.
Bellamy, however, has batted back those suggestions, even telephoning Pay to reassure his old mate that he wasn’t interested in taking the job.
But it shows that discussions are being had behind the scenes.
Canterbury will have British recruit Luke Thompson available next week, and the prop is said to be the cornerstone of their aggressive recruitment drive.
The club have been linked to the likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Wallaby Marika Koroibete and a return to Belmore for fan favourite Josh Reynolds.
In the meantime, a big cohort of players are coming off contract. Kieran Foran, Adam Elliott, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Aiden Tolman and Jack Cogger are all able to speak with rival clubs.
Elliott, in particular, has been very impressive over the last few weeks.
He told Fox League after Sunday’s loss that he faces making a big call on his future.
“I’d jump in front of a train for the club but I’ve got a young family now and it’s that point in my career where I have to make smart decisions, informed decisions,” he said.
“I’m just going to turn up and try and play as good as I can for the Bulldogs and, hopefully, that will sort itself out.”
Within a month, the club will be hoping that they can find a resolution to future of their players as well as the coach.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...r/news-story/0a5da779b8cf138c273f251cda5559a4