NRL 2020: Dean Pay quits after Bulldogs’ ‘incredible disrespect’

Dean Pay has reportedly walked out on the Bulldogs immediately after the club was accused of handing the coach a “s*** sandwich”.

Dean Pay is leaving the Bulldogs.

Dean Pay has quit the Bulldogs immediately after the club told the 51-year-old he would not be coaching them next season.

Powerbrokers told Pay on Monday night they would replace him in 2021 but rather than hang around for the rest of the season, he decided to walk.

Channel 9’s Danny Weidler reported Pay officially left the club this morning after speaking to his players and the club released a statement confirming both parties had split.

BREAKING: Dean Pay has just driven out of Belmore after addressing the players and telling him of his departure from the club. @9NewsSyd @NRLonNine https://t.co/D5rqimXhN6

— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) July 13, 2020

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“Dean Pay will step down from his role as Head Coach of the Bulldogs immediately after both parties agreed that it was in the best interests of the individual and the club to part ways,” the statement said.

“The decision was reached after a meeting between Dean and the club following Saturday’s loss to the Broncos.”

Steve Georgallis will step in as interim coach until a full-time appointment is made.

The Bulldogs are last on the ladder with just one win from nine games and Pay’s job has been under pressure all season. Since taking over in 2018, the Belmore club has failed to make the finals, finishing 12th that year and in 2019.

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Penrith assistant coach and former Manly mentor Trent Barrett is being talked about as the man to take over and the Dogs have reportedly already asked the Panthers’ permission to open a dialogue with the former NSW playmaker.

The Bulldogs have been crippled by salary cap issues and simply don’t have a roster to match it with the top sides in the competition. Much of the salary cap mess, with stars loaded on big back-ended contracts, has been blamed on Des Hasler’s management during his time as coach from 2012-2017.

The salary cap troubles were always going to take a few years to be fixed and Channel 9 sports reporter Jelisa Apps said on Twitter Pay was handed “an absolute s*** sandwich to take care of until 2021 when they could be competitive again”.

“They aren’t able to recruit properly until 2021 because of years of back-ended contracts that were a disaster,” she wrote.

Bulldogs should go righto Dean Pay sorry ‘bout the years of disastrous backended contracts that delivered you a cluster in your tenure, have a year with the roster of your choice and we’ll reassess. #nrl

— Jelisa Apps (@JelisaApps) July 13, 2020

I think the @NRL_Bulldogs had to make a change but still feel desperately sorry for Dean Pay. I’m don’t think too many coaches could have done much better with the roster he inherited. Trent Barrett good choice. Can coach.

— BUZZ ROTHFIELD (@BuzzRothfield) July 13, 2020

Dean Pay is a proud person who was given a job with not a lot of upside and little support to actually improve the team this season. Can’t blame him for resigning after reportedly being told he wouldn’t be coach next season. https://t.co/yJ262X44rD

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 13, 2020

After losing to Brisbane on Saturday night Pay, who played more than 100 games for the Bulldogs, said it “would be useful for everyone” if the board cane out and offered some clarity on his position.

Weidler said the coach was becoming “increasingly frustrated with the way he was being treated by the Bulldogs club”.

“Dean Pay was brought into the Bulldogs, the so-called family club, as a former great of the club as the man to guide them through a difficult period,” Weidler said on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“It looks to me though he’s just been made a fall-guy, a stopgap and he’s been treated with incredible disrespect by the club.

“Yes, their results have not been great but I don’t think Dean Pay really had a chance at any point with the roster that he was given and the roster that he had going forward.

“The final straw for Dean Pay was when he tried to recruit (Wests Tigers five-eighth) Josh Reynolds on minimal money for this year and was not given the chance.

“Now if that’s going to happen, the coach is never really going to be given a chance, and it’s time for other people at that club to stand down and go.

“Why Dean Pay is the sole victim of what’s been going on I’ll never know, but I can’t see how that club can move forward … with their board that’s warring.

“It’s a highly unattractive club.”

Weidler also accused Bulldogs chair Lynne Anderson and head of football Steve Price of allowing Pay to become a scapegoat, calling them “invisible people throughout this whole mess”.

Dean Pay never stood a chance.

The Bulldogs have struggled for any potency in attack during Pay’s tenure and while their commitment has never been questioned, a lack of big-name game-breakers has seen them constantly excluded from the top eight.

They have the chance to change that when their salary cap issues are resolved in 2021.

Cronulla legend Paul Gallen said the Bulldogs need to appoint a coach for next season as soon as possible to make it easier to sign players.

“It’s critical they decide who the coach is going into next season, because they’re finally coming out of their salary cap issues,” Gallen said on Channel 9’s 100% Footy.

“They’ve got a heap of money to spend for next season to try and get some good players, they need to know who’s coaching pretty quickly.”

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Penrith director Greg Alexander said he spoke to Barrett last night to inquire about his interest in taking over from Pay.

“I told him he had to do what he had to do. I don’t think anyone would stand in the road of an assistant if he can get a head coaching role at another club,” Alexander said.

“It’s been great to have Baz back at the club but if he decides he wants a head coaching role next year then that’s the nature of the beast.

“Naturally, we’d love him to stay given he’s been great for the club and he desperately wants to stay at Penrith this year. But we understand the goal of every coach is to be the boss.”

Originally published as NRL 2020: Dean Pay quits after Bulldogs’ ‘incredible disrespect’