The Tackle: Trent Barrett future at Bulldogs in doubt, but it’s not the answer to their woes
The Bulldogs should think long and hard before making Trent Barrett yet another scapegoat - because the real issue is staring them in the face each and every week, writes PAUL CRAWLEY.
If Trent Barrett has coached his last game for the Bulldogs, there should be some players who have also played their last game.
And Matt Dufty is at the top of that list.
Barrett is facing coaching oblivion heading into Friday night’s game against Wests Tigers because he backed the wrong players.
But with meetings in the next few days to decide if Barrett will survive this week, the word coming out of Belmore is that Barrett is on very shaky ground with sections within the club ready to make the tough call.
But regardless of who is coaching the Bulldogs by the time they run out to take on the Tigers, there also has to be changes on the field as well.
And moving Josh Addo-Carr to fullback is one of them.
The Bulldogs desperately need to ignite their attack but they can’t go another game with Dufty playing in the No 1 jumper.
Dufty is a great attacking player when he is on, but too often he is right off.
And he came up with another shocker in the loss at Magic Round to Newcastle.
He has now been given enough chances.
You can’t have a player in such an important position who turns up some weeks but goes missing in others.
Meanwhile, as far as talk about the Bulldogs looking at another massive roster overhaul, do they just expect their fans to swallow this by sacking another coach?
How about first explaining why they threw a lifeline to Dufty, Tevita Pangai and Paul Vaughan in the first place, when all three had been moved on at their last clubs?
Throw Brent Naden on the list because he had his own issues at Penrith.
The most naïve mistake in rugby league is signing problems from other clubs.
Yet this has become Canterbury’s get-out-of-jail tactic in recent years.
It’s worth remembering it’s coming up to five years since Des Hasler was sacked.
It’s been nearly two years since Dean Pay was made the scapegoat.
The great Peter “Bullfrog” Moore used to say success was in the woodwork at Belmore.
Not anymore.
