Monday Bunker: Dogs deliver, but dark storm clouds still on horizon

Canterbury kick-started their season with a scorching victory over Wests Tigers - but should keep the champagne on ice, with the road ahead still extremely rocky says PHIL ROTHFIELD.

• EARLY MAIL: Xerri to debut, guns return, Knights reshuffle
• BUZZ: Pressure building on Cleary combination

Canterbury may have kickstarted their season – and kept the wolves at the door – with a pressure-relieving victory of Wests Tigers.

But Daily Telegraph journalists Phil Rothfield and Paul Crawley have told Monday Bunker TV that the Bulldogs should put the champagne on ice for the moment, warning that the decision to re-sign under-fire coach Dean Pay is far from vindicated just yet.

In the week after surprising some in the rugby league world by extending Pay’s contract by 12 months the Bulldogs ran riot against the Tigers, finishing 22-8 winners and lifting themselves off the bottom of the ladder with their first win of the year.

Keep the celebrations in check - the Dogs still face some tough times ahead. Picture: Phil Hillyard

MORE NRL NEWS

SWITCH: Brown calls time on Ponga experiment

BANNED: Penrith star swears off social media

INJURIES: Round three NRL casualty ward

But Rothfield was still miffed by the decision to extend Pay’s deal, especially by just 12 months – pointing out that due to the club’s salary cap mismanagement in recent times, Pay won’t be able to bring in any marquee players until 2021 after his extended deal is up.

“It was great to see them win (on Sunday), they desperately needed it for confidence in the camp,” Rothfield explained.

“For the life of me though, if you’re going to extend a coach I don’t know why they’ve only done it for one year.

“He has no money in that extra year to actually spend on marquee players and improve this roster.

“I still don’t think it’s a finals roster. But the salary cap position is so bad they can’t sign anyone until 2021.

“You know what? Dean Pay will be off contract by then.”

Bulldogs coach Dean Pay was re-signed during the week. But was the decision vindicated? Picture: Phil Hillyard

MORE NRL NEWS

SHOCK: Knights legend suffers heart attack in charity game

TRAGIC: ‘I did my ACL again and I just laughed’

BURNS: ‘I’m not embarrassed to tell my story anymore’

Crawley said the constant bleating about their salary cap woes needed to be put to bed – saying other clubs were in similar tough spots but weren’t complaining to the same degree as the blue and whites.

“They first two weeks they were shocking. They conceded more points than they have since 1971 to start a season for this club,” Crawley said.

“All we ever hear is this club (the Bulldogs) whinging about its salary cap situation – the Titans (on Sunday) played $500,000 under the salary cap, they were also without a million-dollar halfback, a five-eighth and a hooker.

“Canterbury, what do they want? A street parade for winning one game?”