Penrith gives Barrett a hands-off warning
YOU can coach – but don’t poach.
Penrith will grant Trent Barrett an early release to coach Canterbury but he will leave with a stern warning: Don’t try to take our young guns with you.
The second-placed Panthers have a stunning young side, including four gun halves, Barrett may be tempted to entice to Belmore, should he accept the Bulldogs top job.
Canterbury confirmed on Tuesday morning that coach Dean Pay had stood down immediately, with Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill insisting the club “did not rush into this decision”.
Bulldogs management is understood to be well advanced in discussions with Barrett on a likely three-year deal, although there are still senior figures at Penrith who believe Barrett will reject it.
Canterbury is yet to lodge a formal offer to Barrett, with the club insisting there is still interest in other coaches.
Penrith would allow assistant coach Barrett out of his 2021 deal but don’t want him trying to pinch key players if he joins Canterbury.
Penrith is stacked with halves talent in Nathan Cleary, 22, Jarome Luai, 23, Matt Burton, 20, and Tyrone May, 24.
The Bulldogs have had the NRL’s worst attack over the past two seasons.
Several well-placed sources at Penrith want it known Barrett shouldn’t use his relationship with the young halves to lure any of them away from the Panthers.
Cleary is signed long-term although Luai and Burton are off contract after next season while May’s deal ends after this year. Penrith hopes to lock him down shortly.
While aware Barrett would want to immediately involve himself in retention and recruitment at Canterbury when he signs, Penrith has no plans to stand him down from his assistant coaching role for the rest of this season.
Barrett has promised Penrith he would keep everyone updated on his negotiations with Canterbury.
The former Manly head coach was spotted in deep discussion with manager Wayne Beavis at a Sydney coffee shop on Monday. No Bulldogs officials were at the meeting.
Bulldogs assistant coach Steve Georgallis was confirmed as Canterbury’s interim head coach on Tuesday although the club’s other assistant, Steve Antonelli, has quit in support of Pay. Pay’s last game in charge was Saturday’s 26-8 loss to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. He had become drained and frustrated at the results and offfield direction the club had taken.
A Bulldogs statement on Tuesday stated “both parties agreed that it was in the best interests of the individual and the club to part ways. The decision was reached after a meeting between Dean and the club following Saturday’s loss.”
Pay – a former Canterbury champion forward – attracted enormous support over the past few days from fans, with many criticising
Barrett’s 39 per cent winning success rate at Manly.
“These decisions are always tough, particularly when they involve someone who has been part of the Bulldogs family for a long time,” Hill said.
“The fact is though that the club and Dean have decided that we needed to move in a different direction to take the team forward and Dean was in agreement that now was the right time for both parties to part ways.
“We did not rush into this decision and have taken our time to look at what was best for the club in regard to success moving forward. I’d like to thank Dean for his contribution over the past three years and all the hard work and passion he has given.”
Pay arrived at Belmore Sports Ground about 8am on Monday to address the players but had left by 9am.
In the statement, he said: “I‘d like to thank the Bulldogs for the opportunity to be the head coach at a club that has always meant so much to me.”
Speaking on The Big Sports Breakfast morning radio program, former NSW captain and coach Laurie Daley urged Barrett to think long and hard before joining the Bulldogs.