Penrith won’t stand in way of Trent Barrett move to Canterbury Bulldogs as Eddie Jones sounds out coaching job
He’s the favourite to eventually replace Dean Pay at Canterbury and Penrith has cleared the way for a Trent Barrett move to the Bulldogs — if he wants it — while legendary rugby coach Eddie Jones also has interest.
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Influential Panthers director Greg Alexander has approached his club’s assistant coach Trent Barrett over an increasingly likely move to Canterbury before declaring: “We won’t stand in his way.”
Barrett is firm favourite for the expected vacant Bulldogs coaching position with Canterbury’s board to make a decision on current coach Dean Pay before the club’s next football club board meeting on July 30.
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The Bulldogs want Pay to complete this season in charge but his contract — which will end after this season — won’t be renewed.
The Daily Telegraph has been told Canterbury hasn’t officially contacted Barrett but there are behind-the-scenes moves to lure him away from Penrith.
Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill is believed to have contacted Panthers counterpart Brian Fletcher on Monday to tell him they are keen to speak to Barrett.
There has also been a left-field link between Canterbury and England rugby union coach Eddie Jones.
Barrett has told friends he won’t rush into any decision after his modest three-year coaching stint as Manly coach where he won just 29 of 73 games.
Aware of the speculation, Alexander phoned Barrett on Sunday night to ask about any shift to the Bulldogs.
“I rang Baz last night,” Alexander said.
“I told him he had to do what he had to do. I don’t think anyone would stand in the road of an assistant if he can get a head coaching role at another club.
“It’s been great to have Baz back at the club but if he decides he wants a head coaching role next year then that’s the nature of the beast.
“Naturally, we’d love him to stay given he’s been great for the club and he desperately wants to stay at Penrith this year. But we understand the goal of every coach is to be the boss.”
There are other powerful figures at Penrith who believe Barrett is happy at the club and doesn’t want to coach Canterbury.
An acquaintance claiming to represent Jones has contacted a Bulldogs director with the pair having coffee last week.
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It was claimed the acquaintance suggested Jones as a possible Bulldogs coach and that he would surround himself with a respected circle of rugby league assistants including Jason Ryles and Brett Kimmorley.
Canterbury feels it’s not the right time to experiment with a successful rugby union coach untested in rugby league.
A source close to the board said there was more chance of Pay being re-signed than Jones being appointed.
English rugby league coach Shane Wane has also been mentioned. The club has made discreet inquiries but interest is lukewarm.
Barrett is aware coaching Canterbury would require a hefty rebuild but also knows he has $3 million to spend in the salary cap and would be in charge of a rich and powerful Sydney club with a $9 million Centre of Excellence.
The TAB has tightened Canterbury from $2.75 into $2 for this year’s wooden spoon. They are $3.10 to beat fellow strugglers St George Illawarra in Wollongong this Friday night.
Canterbury’s board met two and a half weeks ago and agreed to give Pay another month. They are trying to remain true to their word.
Kevin Walters, Anthony Griffin, Brad Fittler and Laurie Daley have also been mentioned as Canterbury coaching candidates. Walters (Queensland coach), Fittler (NSW coach) and Daley (co-host Big Sports Breakfast) appear happy with their current roles.
There was a push for Canterbury to chase Wayne Bennett with Michael Ennis as his assistant. That, though, is unlikely. Canterbury will need to make a decision soon with a new coach wanting a say in the club’s retention and recruitment.
The incoming coach will need to decide whether to re-sign off-contract stars Kieran Foran, Adam Elliott and Aiden Tolman, although the club has already opened preliminary discussions.
Canterbury has won two of nine games this season and are four competition points last on the NRL table.
EDDIE WANTS BULLDOGS’ GIG
Canterbury have been formally sounded out about their interest in England rugby union coach Eddie Jones as part of a coaching structure that could involve former Bulldogs halfback Brett Kimmorley.
The Australian understands the club was told that the former Wallabies coach would potentially be interested in returning to Australia if an opportunity arose for him in the NRL. Melbourne assistant Jason Ryles, who is due to join Jones’s England coaching staff at the end of the year, could also form part of the new set-up.
The Bulldogs are mulling over a decision on the future of coach Dean Pay, who is off contract at the end of the season and yet to convince club officials that he is worthy of an extension.
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The likelihood is that Pay will be told his services are no longer required beyond this year, leaving the club to search for a new head coach.
Former Manly coach Trent Barrett, now an assistant at Penrith, has been prominently linked with the role, although Bulldogs officials insist they are yet to hold talks with any prospective coaches.
That hasn’t stopped the club being inundated with interest from elsewhere. The most left-field has come from someone purporting to represent Jones, one of the most successful coaches in rugby union but a long-time rugby league fan.
Jones has remained tight-lipped after being linked with a variety of rugby league roles in recent months. However, the silence has fuelled speculation over his future amid suggestions there is genuine interest in returning to Australia to becoming involved in the NRL.
The Bulldogs need to get their next coaching decision right. They have struggled in recent seasons but have a $3 million war chest at the ready and an appetite to spend it on players who will make them a premiership force.
After only one game, Englishman Luke Thompson looks like a smart buy. He shirked little as he made his debut against Brisbane, making it his mission to take on Tevita Pangai Junior.
Originally published as Penrith won’t stand in way of Trent Barrett move to Canterbury Bulldogs as Eddie Jones sounds out coaching job