NRL great Andrew Johns has named five players the cashed-up Canterbury Bulldogs should target.

With coach Dean Pay departing the club earlier this week, Trent Barrett is widely tipped to take over the job in the upcoming weeks.

Speaking on WWOS, Johns believes the club is entering one of the most important recruitment phases in its history.

“They’ve got a $3 million war chest but the problem is, whoever they buy they’re going to have to pay overs for,” Johns told

“This will not be a short-term [fix], two or three years. Whoever goes into the Bulldogs as the coach needs to recruit the best assistants, the best junior coaches; so they need to educate all the way through. They need to educate right from the juniors, right through.

“This may take five years before they get back and start competing for that top eight. It is a massive job.”

Johns said Canterbury must prioritise shoring up up their spine and adding a "strike centre".

“I had a quick look at their squad – they need to buy a world-class dummy-half. There’s one in England called Daryl Clark, who plays for Warrington, really top-line player,” Johns said.

“They need a fullback, there’s two I’ve thought of. Albert Hopoate and the [Panthers’] young winger, [Charlie] Staines, he’s a fullback. Whether they invest in the youth.

“They need a five-eighth, Blake Green. And they need a strike centre, which obviously is Nick Cotric, [who] they’re chasing.

“Their forwards work really hard, I think their forward pack is really strong there, but they need to strengthen those [other] positions. Dummy-half, fullback, five-eighth and they need a strike centre.”

Johns' five players the Bulldogs should target

Daryl Clark

Albert Hopoate

Charlie Staines

Blake Green

Nick Cotric

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hypothetically if the Bulldogs did sign the 5 players mentioned I reckon they would still have money left in their $3 million war chest. Apart from Nick Cotrick the most expensive signing would probably be Daryl Clark.

  2. Who they should sign:

    Nick Cotric (3 years 1.8mil, 600k)
    Daryl Clarke (4 years 2.6mil, 650k)
    Swap Corey Harawira-Naeea for Tim Lafai
    Jamil Hopoate (2 years 500k, 250k)
    Isaiah Pappalii (3 years 900k, 300k)

    Then look into 2021
    Tex Hoy (4 years 1.8mil, 450k)
    Matt Burton (3 years 1.35mil, 450k)
    Thomas Fleger (3 years 900k, 300k)

    Total Cost: 3mil

    Bulldogs should look to bring in fresh young talent and then 1 or 2 leaders. Cotric (21), Pappalii (21), Hoy (20), Burton (20) and Fleger (20) that’s they sorta young guys they need.

    1. Tex Hoy
    2. Dallin Watene-Zedinak
    3. Will Hopoate
    4. Nick Cotric
    5. Reimis Smith
    6. Lachlan Lewis
    7. Matt Burton
    8. Dylan Napa
    9. Daryl Clarke
    10. Aiden Tolman
    11. Josh Jackson
    12. Isiah Pappalii
    13. Luke Thompson

    14. Jeremy Marshall-King
    15. Dean Britt
    16. Jamil Hopoate
    17. Thomas Fleger

    Backs: Tim Lafai, Nick Meaney, Christian Crichton
    Halves/Hooker: Brandon Wakeham Sione Katoa
    Forwards: Joe Stimson Ofahiki Ogden Renouf Toumanga

    Hoy and Burton are both going to be future stars so secure them and just give them time to adjust and learn the system. Go back to your culture and bring back the bulldogs of the old days. Bring back lots of size and look to play off a dominate forward pack.