NRL 2020: Kieran Foran for NRL return says Bulldogs coach Dean Pay

While Kieran Foran is desperate to get back on the field to prove he deserves a new deal, off-contract coach Dean Pay also needs his side to hit the ground running when the NRL returns.

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This could play a massive part in Dean Pay’s future at Canterbury, because Kieran Foran’s ability to string together consistent performances this year will have a huge bearing on the Bulldogs’ success.

But despite some concern Foran won’t be ready for the NRL’s return round, Pay is adamant the luckless playmaker is raring to go.

And while Foran is desperate to get back on the field so he can prove he deserves another deal beyond this year, Pay also needs the team to hit the ground running because he is also off contract in less than six months.

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Reimis Smith says Kieran Foran is unlikely to take the field for the Bulldogs when the NRL returns. Picture: AAP.

Understandably, Pay’s future has been put on hold as the club comes to terms with all the ramifications directly related to the coronavirus shutdown.

But Pay confirmed on Wednesday that Foran was back doing contact training, and a meeting with a specialist next week would hopefully give him the green light to play.

“I am confident … and he is 100 per cent convinced (he will play),” Pay said.

“He still has to get through some more contact work. He has only just started.

“I don’t want to put the mock on him. But, touch wood, he should be sweet.”

If this eventuates the question will be who partners Foran in the halves.

Lachlan Lewis and Brandon Wakeham currently have the jump on Jack Cogger _ but Pay openly admits it is up in the air.

Coach Dean Pay says Kieran Foran needs to complete more intensive training before he can return. Picture: AAP.

The Bulldogs are also still an outside chance of signing Josh Reynolds but that would only be if Wests Tigers are prepared to carry the majority of Reynolds’ salary.

Internally, this is considered no safe bet at this point, although it is still too early to put a line through any potential deal altogether.

What can’t be denied is that Lewis is facing a significant challenge to keep ahead of the exciting young Wakeham.

Lewis started the season viewed as the playmaker who would lead the club into the future.

However he suffered a setback when he was benched in the round two loss to North Queensland after an ordinary first-up effort against Parramatta.

In both games Lewis’ finish to sets just weren’t up to NRL standard.

It also again highlighted how crucial Foran’s experience is to a team that finished last year winning seven of their last 10 games before opening this season with back-to-back losses in Foran’s absence, after he suffered his injury playing for New Zealand.

Wakeham trained alongside Foran yesterday while Lewis is expected to get his shot at Friday’s team session.

The Bulldogs are still a chance of signing Josh Reynolds for the rest of 2020. Picture: AAP.

It’s no secret Pay has been coaching under enormous salary cap restraints since he arrived at the club.

Then on top of starting this season without Foran, Pay also had to contend with the sacking of Corey Harawira-Naera and Jayden Okunbor.

But in 2021 at least the Bulldogs will finally be in a position to hit the market with some cash to splash, although they have to start making some big decisions soon.

There are still a stack of the top-30 squad not signed for next year including Foran, Wakeham and Cogger as well as Aiden Tolman, Adam Elliott, Morgan Harper, Kerrod Holland, Marcelo Montoya and young Isaihah Tass.

The Bulldogs also only have 27 contracted top 30 players for this year after the exit of Harawira-Naera and Okunbor.

The question the club has to answer is how many of these off-contract players should be retained if the Bulldogs are fair dinkum about getting themselves back among the genuine premiership contenders.

For instance, how many of the Bulldogs’ current crop would win a place in the Roosters, Melbourne or Canberra’s top 17?

They have already landed tough Englishman Luke Thompson for next year, although in the current COVID-19 crisis that might have some complications in the coming months.

But the Dogs still have a lot of other questions that need to be answered before Thompson is due to arrive.

The Bulldogs have signed English giant Luke Thompson for the 2021 season. Picture: Getty Images.

Bulldogs youngsters ready for Foran return

—Fatima Kdouh

While Dean Pay is confident he will be back, Kieran Foran’s round three return has hit an obstacle with the Canterbury playmaker failing to take part in this week’s contact sessions at Belmore.

Bulldogs teammate Reimis Smith said that Foran was still on a modified program, while the rest of the team had begun contact sessions in preparation for the May 28 restart.

“Not really [did he take part in the contact session], I think he was just doing a bit of modified stuff … but he is doing what he can at the moment. It’s looking positive but I don’t know if he’ll be there at the start of the season,” Smith said.

Smith said Foran’s timely return would be a “massive” boost to the Bulldogs after losing their first two games of the season.

“Foz’s experience is next to none so to have him back firing and leading us boys around with whoever is his halves partner. He has experience in the big games, he’s been training hard and doing his rehab. It’s good to see that and he also looks happy,” Smith said.

Bulldog's Reimis Smith and Parramatta's Dylan Brown during the opening NRL match of the season between the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Foran could find himself playing alongside Wests Tigers playmaker Josh Reynolds in the halves when he finally makes his comeback. Canterbury favourite Reynolds could be Belmore bound in 2020 if the Tigers and Bulldogs can come to an agreement over the terms of his release.

Pay will also be without new recruit Joe Stimson after he suffered a season ending shoulder injury in round two against the North Queensland Cowboys.

Flyer Smith has backed young forward Renouf To'omaga as Stimson’s replacement when the season restarts.

“There are so many quality backrowers … Renouf has put his hand up, Raymond Faitala-Mariner has his hand up and there are a few others pushing hard from that spot,” Smith said.

“[Renouf] came back [looking] really good. He came back slim and lighter than what he left. He was excited when he came back but there was a spring in his step and there was something different about him. He wants that spot pretty hard and he has been training really hard for it.”

Reimis Smith has backed Renouf To'omaga to replace the injured Joe Stimson. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Bulldogs fans can expect to see Smith in his new spot at left centre again, after playing on the right wing in 2019 where he finished as the club’s top tryscorer with 12 tries.

Canterbury’s winless start to the season hasn’t dampened Smith’s confidence. The 24-year old said with enough time in his new position he could be one of the elite centres in the game.

“I’ve had those two games at centre and there is a lot of room to grow and it’s a challenge. But at the end of the day I back my ability and I believe in myself that I can be one of the best centres in the game. That’s what I’m striving for,” Smith said.

Originally published as NRL 2020: Kieran Foran for NRL return says Bulldogs coach Dean Pay