Dean Pay admits there were plenty of bumps endured during his first year of coaching in the NRL but he has high hopes Canterbury’s young players can help the club achieve great things.
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Pay replaced former Bulldogs coach Des Hasler in the leads-up to the 2018 season but the Dubbo product’s first season at the helm was made difficult by off-field drama and salary cap restrictions at Belmore.
Leading players Aaron Woods and Moses Mbye left the club in mid-season transfers and while some young players shone when given a chance late in the piece, the Bulldogs still finished the season in 12th spot.
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Many are tipping the club to again struggle in 2018, especially after the departure of Origin prop David Klemmer, but Pay is staying positive.
“There’s been some ups and downs along the way and there’s been some bumps but we weathered those and have come out the other end stronger as a club,” Pay told the Bulldogs’ official website.
“As a group we’re really looking forward to next season and getting on the field and letting our footy do the talking.”
While Queensland enforcer Dylan Napa has joined the club and former international half Kieran Foran has shown promise in pre-season, it will be the club’s youngsters who will again be key in 2019.
As well as the losses of Woods, Mbye, and Klemmer in recent times, the experienced trio of Greg Eastwood and Morris twins Brett and Josh have also departed Belmore.
We’re working towards future success with our young guys.
- Dean Pay
Pay will look to 24-year-old Adam Elliott to take on a senior role next season, while the likes of Lachlan Lewis, Rhyse Martin, and Reimis Smith will look to establish themselves after coming into the team during 2018.
”Some of the younger guys who got a taste of first grade last year are training really well so it’s good signs for the club,” Pay said.
We’ve got some really good young kids coming through and they’re the kids we want to come through. We want to breed our our own players and have a successful club right through from under 16s to the NRL team.
“We’re working towards future success with our young guys.”
While there is a certain amount of excitement around the club, the former Group 11 premiership winner has urged patience.
He knows many of the club’s young players, some who haven’t made their NRL debuts yet, will need time to develop and come to terms with life in the top flight.
“But again, they’re working really hard and the sky’s the limit for them,” Pay added.
The addition of Napa has also created a buzz at Belmore and Pay stated he won’t look to curb the powerful prop’s aggressive approach.
Napa’s hard-hitting tackling approach has come under scrutiny in the past.
“We want him to be Dylan Napa and don’t want him to be anyone else,” the coach said.
“That’s the way he plays and that’s why we’ve got him here.”