We’re going through every NRL club and examining how the shutdown of the competition due to the coronavirus crisis will affect them.
See also: Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders
Today we look at what the lockdown means for the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Positives
One of the positives is that they could welcome back Kieran Forlan a lot sooner than they thought. Forlan is recovering from shoulder surgery and his initial aim was to get back around the midway point of the season. With the NRL currently suspended until at least May 28, it could mean that he could be in the frame of team selection when the league resumes.
Negatives
It means that the young Bulldogs, who boast an average age of 24.2 (with eight players aged between 18-22) have less time to gel together and get a string of good performances under their belt. The leadership of inexperienced teams like the Bulldogs will be tested.
Financial Position
Financially, this is one club that could feel the pain of the coronavirus as they have currently stood down some of their football staff. They are backed by the Canterbury Leagues Club but even they have felt the pinch as they have had to cut their costs due to the restrictions facing licensed venues.
Players
The good news for the Bulldogs is that they do not have that many players going off-contract at the end of this year, with most of them being contracted until 2021. However, the biggest name going off-contract at seasons end is New Zealander Kieran Forlan, with his three-year deal expiring this year. If he does go, it will be sure to leave a big hole on the park for the club.
Coach
Dean Pay has done a stellar job given the mess he had inherited at the start of his Bulldogs campaign amid the salary cap dramas from 2018-19. It means they are one year off chasing the big-name players. However, depending on when the NRL season returns, the pressure will be on Pay as his contract ends after this year. It could all be determined by how the team is performing at the halfway point of the season.
How they would've fared in 2020
It is hard to say as to exactly where they would have ended up, but the most likely would've ended up around 12th(where they finished last year) or near the bottom four.
Where to from here?
Once they get back in action, Pay has a bit of work to do as there isn't much spark in their attack, while they have also leaked points the other way. The answer is to fine-tune their defence and find something going forward.
