Bulldogs’ $600k hard-luck story as NRL’s largest earners revealed

General manager of football Phil Gould has got a lot right at finals-bound Canterbury, but not every signing has paid off for the Bulldogs.

He’s the NRL Rich 100 entrant who’s played 14 minutes all year — in reserve grade.

Canterbury prop Ryan Sutton has emerged as the standout in this year’s investigation into the league’s highest earners, for all the wrong reasons.

While the rest of his teammates prepare for the club’s first finals game in eight years, Sutton remains as the hard luck story of Belmore.

Recruited to the club at the start of last season after four seasons with Canberra, the Englishman has made just 13 appearances for the Bulldogs — all last year.

NRL RICH 100: CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST

NRL Rich 100: Ryan Sutton

Sutton spent the opening six months of the season recovering from knee and hip surgeries before finally making back in the field in the club’s NSW Cup side in Round 18.

However he lasted less than 15 minutes before tearing his patella tendon in the same knee he injured in the pre-season, ruling him for the rest of the year.

This year’s list includes plenty of luckless stars on big coin, led by top-five earners Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Moses, Tom Trbojevic and Cameron Munster.

And then you get to the sixth highest-paid NRL star, Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who managed just two games before tearing his ACL.

NRL RICH 100: CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST

SRyan Sutton is the hard luck story of Belmore. Picture: Getty Images

But that’s at least two more than Sutton, who has been unable to deliver on a whopping three-year-deal worth $600,000 a season signed off by Bulldogs boss Phil Gould.

The former Wigan forward was linked with a return to Super League last summer, however instead remained at Belmore where he had hoped to cement himself in their forward pack.

Sutton officially ranks 103rd on the list, his money equal with the likes of Jack Bird, Jayden Brailey, Bromwich brothers Jesse and Kenny, Shaun Johnson, Francis Molo and Cody Walker.

Fellow Englishmen Tom Burgess and Kai Pearce-Paul are also on $600k.

Originally published as Bulldogs’ $600k hard-luck story as NRL’s largest earners revealed