NRL 2020: Trent Barrett dumps Canterbury Bulldogs coaching staff, eyes Panther
Trent Barrett will oversee a major shake-up at the Canterbury Bulldogs with some club legends on the way out, and news of one favoured recruit is sure to raise some hackles at the Panthers.
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New Canterbury coach Trent Barrett will dump his coaching staff.
In a shock development, the Bulldogs are expected to cut current interim coach Steve Georgallis, head of high performance, Tony Ayoub, and two strength and conditioning coaches, Harry Harris and Tony Grimaldi.
They were all off contract, Barrett forced to either extend or move the club in another direction. He will bring in his own coaching and backroom team.
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The development will rock Canterbury, although insiders insist change is needed with the club running last on the NRL competition table.
Gold Coast head of high performance, Dan Ferris, is expected to join Barrett at Belmore. Barrett and Ferris worked together at Manly.
Georgallis, an assistant coach who took over from sacked Dean Pay on July 14, has applied for the vacant North Queensland coaching job.
The cull started last weekend when veteran trainer Garry Carden — deemed by players as the “the heart and soul” of the club – was dumped.
A month earlier, when Pay was dumped, assistant coach Steve Antonelli quit.
Those close to the club believe Barrett and his new coaching staff will bring a more flamboyant playing style next season.
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Ayoub is an experienced trainer – he worked with the Australian Kangaroos — Harris is highly regarded, while Grimaldi is a former Bulldogs forward.
Harris and Ayoub have had two stints at the Bulldogs while Grimaldi played 119 NRL matches for Canterbury between 1996 and 1998 and then again between 2002 and 2006.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have discussed signing Brisbane forward Tevita Pangai. Canterbury has been quietly circling Pangai for more than a year.
The Bulldogs revealed on Monday that forward Adam Elliott had re-signed for a further three years.
“Adam has become a fantastic leader at Belmore and when he runs onto the field for the Bulldogs you can feel the passion he has for the club,” Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill said.
“He had also shown during the early part of this season that he was one of the form back-rowers in the competition.”
Teammate Dylan Napa added: “He’s a quality player, our best all year.”
There is also ongoing speculation Canterbury is interested in Penrith five-eighth Matt Burton, a gun player unable to crack a spot in the table-topping Panthers side.
Approaching Burton may be awkward though given Barrett is still an assistant coach at Penrith.