Canterbury to take first steps to secure Dean Pay to a contract extension

Canterbury have shown tremendous faith in coach Dean Pay with the club already making moves to lock the second-year coach into a long-term contract.

Dean Pay, Coach of the Bulldogs at the post game media conference after the Round 6 NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at 1300SMILES Stadium in Townsville, Saturday, April 14, 2018. (AAP Image/Michael Chambers) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

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The Bulldogs will take their first formative steps towards taking Dean Pay off the coaching market by meeting with his management this week.

Off-contract at the end of this season after signing a two-year deal at the end of 2017, Pay has had no time to waste in making a positive impression on the club.

There is an appreciation and understanding from the Canterbury administration that Pay has worked tirelessly to overhaul the roster which he has reworked under the strain of a restricted salary cap.

Pay is about to begin his second season as a top grade coach. AP Image/Michael Chambers.

The promotion to first grade and sustained development of several rookies last season including Reimis Smith, Lachlan Lewis, Jeremy Marshall-King, Rhyse Martin and Renouf To’omaga by Pay was key to the club’s strong back-end to the 2018 season.

The club is also aware that having navigated through board and football turmoil over the past 18-months, stability is paramount ahead of the 2019 season.

It’s why negotiations on a new deal for Pay have been scheduled this week and it’s also why the 49-year-old has told the club he’s eager to continue planning and recruitment for 2019 and beyond.

The club are keen to get a deal done by Round 1. Picture by Dylan Robinson.

Both parties are eager to strike a deal before Canterbury’s opening round of the season against New Zealand in Auckland on March 16.

However, the club has learned it’s lessons from the past, most recently with a rich payout for Des Hasler - and will only extend Pay if the deal is the right one.

Ahead of the 2019 kick-off, Pay is one of four NRL coaches without a contract beyond this season including Parramatta’s Brad Arthur, St George-Illawarra’s Paul McGregor and New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney.

Originally published as Canterbury to take first steps to secure Dean Pay to a contract extension