Key $500k twist emerges amid Trent Barrett's Bulldogs exit
It's been a sorry day for the Canterbury Bulldogs with head coach Trent Barrett pulling the pin, and it could be about to get a lot worse.
The writing was on the wall for Barrett after a woeful 2-8 start to the Bulldogs' 2022 campaign, hot on the heels of an equally miserable 2021 season in which the Bulldogs won just three matches.
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With only five wins from 34 games in charge, Barrett made the move to resign before he was sacked on Monday morning, leaving behind a Canterbury side that has made little to no on-field progress since his arrival.
This despite the high-profile signings of Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr has left the Bulldogs administration at a loss to what their next move will be.
Part of their decision making could be done for them, with Burton expected to negotiate his next contract with rivals as soon as the November 1 deadline to do so passes.
With a player option for the 2024 season, Burton has already stated he plans to hear from rival clubs - and the exit of Barrett, a key influence in signing the five-eighth on a long-term deal reportedly worth as much as $500k per season, appears likely to persuade the star to move on.
Speaking on SEN Radio on Monday prior to the announcement of Barrett's decision, Daily Telegraph NRL reporter Dave Riccio said Burton would almost be a certainty to walk out the door after just one season.
“Let’s think about Matt Burton for a moment, this morning he’s driving to training," he proposed.
“He’s signed at this footy club to play under Trent Barrett, he is the one who dragged him over after working with him at Penrith, now he’s driving to training not knowing who the coach is going to be.
“He’s playing in a footy team that can’t strike a blow and he’s off-contract basically from November 1, he can take himself to open market, he can go to the highest bidder.”
Canterbury at a crossroads after Trent Barrett resignation
Barrett's resignation could impact the Bulldogs' hopes for years to come, with fellow NRL commentator Andrew Voss predicting Canterbury's 2023 season would be equally miserable if Burton walked.
With a thin list and a recently signed star potentially gone after just one season, the consequences for the current sorry state of affairs could be far reaching.
“If he signs with another club for 2024 in November or December of this year, write off the Bulldogs next year,” Voss said.
“That’d be a low blow for the Bulldogs and their fans.”
A nominee for the Dally M Centre of the Year in 2021, the addition of Burton alongside Addo-Carr hasn't yielded the advancement up the ladder Bulldogs higher ups were hoping for.
Speculation Barrett's time at the club was done ramped up on Monday morning when the club cancelled a scheduled media opportunity with several players including captain Josh Jackson.
It has been reported Bulldogs director of football Phil Gould informed the players of Barrett's decision before cancelling Monday's training session and sending them home.
It's unclear who will be in the coach's seat for Friday's match against Wests Tigers but assistant coach David Furner or NSW Cup coach Michael Potter loom as the most likely candidates to take over in the short term.
Longer term options are thought to he headed by premiership-winning duo Paul Green and Shane Flanagan, whose son Kyle is on the Bulldogs' books.
Others drawing speculation as potential candidates include St Helens coach Kristian Woolf and Cameron Ciraldo, who is an assistant at Penrith, as Barrett was before joining the Bulldogs.
With AAP
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