Canterbury reject speculation James Graham will lose Bulldogs captaincy
RAELENE Castle has categorically guaranteed James Graham will remain captain at the Bulldogs in a bid to end speculation the Englishman is on the outer.
Raelene Castle has categorically guaranteed James Graham will remain captain at the Bulldogs in 2017 in a bid to end speculation the fiery Englishman is on the outer.
But there will be no swift resolution on the future of star trio Will Hopoate, Josh Reynolds and Michael Lichaa with the Canterbury CEO revealing contract negotiations have been put on hold until the new year.
BEN THE BUILDER: Barba goes back to basics
UNLEASHED: Volleyballer set to become NRL cult hero
With Des Hasler’s future at Belmore also uncertain beyond next year, Castle and the Bulldogs board still have plenty of work ahead of them before the NRL season kick offs in March.
Graham’s future has been a topic of conjecture in recent months but Castle was adamant all the speculation was unfounded.
Castle said the Bulldogs would go through an internal review like they do with all staff once Graham returns to pre-season training next month.
But she said in no way did that mean he was under pressure to keep his job.
“I just want to be clear, James Graham is our captain,” Castle said.
“There is rumour and innuendo out there at the moment but from our perspective James Graham is our captain.”
Asked if that was a guarantee for 2017 season, Castle said: “Yes, that is right.”
Off all the clubs in the NRL the Bulldogs have probably been the least active in the player market heading into 2017 with no big-name signings.
The Dogs announced this week 28-year-old Tolman had re-signed until the end of the 2020 season after earlier this year locking in David Klemmer, Josh Jackson, Moses Mbye and Greg Eastwood to extended deals.
The focus is now on Hopoate, Reynolds and Lichaa, who all play key roles in the team’s spine.
It remains to be seen if Hopoate will again be seeking a special clause in his contract that will allow him to not play on Sundays due to his religious beliefs, while Reynolds is a local junior and fan favourite.
Lichaa is also regarded as one of the best young hookers in the NRL but has endured plenty of criticism since replacing Michael Ennis.
There is no doubt the recent appointment of highly regarded former Wests Tigers football manager Warren McDonnell is going to lead to added speculation that off-contract Tigers aces James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks could also be in Canterbury’s plans.
“From our perspective we are in the very early stages of discussions with those three players’ managers,” Castle said in relation to Hopoate, Reynolds and Lichaa.
“We haven’t even had any significant discussions with those three guys.
“Once we get into the new year and back from Christmas we will start those discussions.
“We are comfortable where we are at.”
Castle said Hasler would continue to have “significant” input into signings despite his own situation remaining in limbo.
In relation to Hasler’s future, Castle said: “We continue to be in discussions with his management and hope that we can find a commercial arrangement that works for both parties.
“That is what we are working towards.
“He continues to have input into the recruitment.”
Originally published as Canterbury reject speculation James Graham will lose Bulldogs captaincy
Rookies, recruits, combos: What we learned from every NRL trial
Footy is back! Our NRL experts have analysed all the weekend’s trial action, casting a keen eye on the rookies, recruits and players vying for Round 1 spots.
Inside Gould’s rousing six-minute speech that will terrify NRL rivals
On Tuesday night, Phil Gould held an extraordinary gathering of 850 guests and Bulldogs luminaries in the palm of his hand for six minutes, revealing a mission statement that should frighten the rest of the NRL, writes DAVID RICCIO.