Former Bulldogs back Bryson Goodwin is on Canterbury’s radar
A young gun who has been getting wraps at Canterbury for years will be let go to join a rival club as the Bulldogs make the curious decision to chase a 35-year-old Rabbitohs winger.
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An NRL veteran and former Canterbury player is on the Bulldogs’ recruitment radar, and it’s not Wests Tigers playmaker Josh Reynolds.
News Corp Australia understands that South Sydney outside back Bryson Goodwin is being discussed as an option to help inject experience into the Bulldogs side.
Goodwin, 34, played 68 games for the Bulldogs between 2009 and 2012. He had notched up 176 NRL games before leaving the Rabbitohs for the Warrington Wolves in the English Super League in 2018.
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Goodwin returned to the NRL in 2020 on a one-year deal with the Rabbitohs.
The catch is that rising centre Morgan Harper, 22, will be leaving the club at the end of this season after he signed with the Manly Sea Eagles on a two-year deal starting from 2021.
Turning to a veteran back who turns 35 in December and letting go of an up and coming centre is surely a decision to leave Canterbury fans scratching their heads.
But it’s understood the club’s recruitment committee has a different school of thought than coach Dean Pay when it comes to turning the side’s fortunes around on the field in 2020.
Coach Pay is seeking experience to help get him wins on the board, which is why players like Reynolds and Goodwin have been sounded out.
But other senior club officials want to back younger and rising players.
It makes the decision to allow Harper, who has been at Belmore since he was 15 years old, all the more curious.
Harper agreed to terms with the Sea Eagles before COVID-19 forced the competition into shutdown.
And after limited opportunities to make a name for himself at Belmore, the youngster asked for an immediate release from the Bulldogs to join Des Hasler’s Sea Eagles in 2020, but the request was denied.
Harper, who made his NRL debut in round 25 in season 2019, has not been named in the side since but is highly regarded among his teammates at Canterbury.
LISTEN! This week on The Daily Telegraph podcast Mobbsy, Mick and Buzz talk through financial irresponsibility of clubs after just one round, Paul McGregor’s St George Illawarra future, Dean Pay being under pressure at Canterbury PLUS John Bateman’s injury and what it means for the Canberra Raiders’ premiership hopes
After slumping to their third-straight loss against the Sea Eagles at Gosford, senior Bulldogs players urged coach Pay to consider adding Harper to the starting side at centre as part of a backline shake-up.
Pay will make mass changes to the side he named on Tuesday, including a back five shake-up, but Harper still won’t take the field against St George Illawarra on Monday with Jake Averillo and Reimis Smith preferred at centre.
In other signing news, the Penrith Panthers are set to announce rising flyer Brian To’o has extended his time at the club.
To’o, who made his NRL debut in 2019, will remain at the club until the end of season 2023.
The local junior burst onto the scene last season scoring nine tries from 15 games.
To’o has continued his strong form in 2020 with a stellar performance against Newcastle last weekend. The Panthers local junior notched up 286 run metres, nine tackle busts and two line breaks.