Pritchard, Eastwood and Blair. First of all, how can the Bulldogs afford these three after they have also signed Keating & Hodkinson and why are the Eels signing Webb and not talking to Blair.....
THE Bulldogs will field the NRL's most destructive second row next season with Greg Eastwood returning to Belmore.
Sport Confidential can reveal Eastwood has agreed to a new two-year deal with Canterbury, where he played in 2009 before honouring a pre-existing deal with UK Super League club Leeds Rhinos.
Eastwood, however, was unhappy in the north of England and has been negotiating a transfer fee with both clubs in the past two months.
A deal was finally struck late last week, with the Bulldogs understood to have paid Leeds about $100,000 to get the devastating Kiwi back in blue and white.
Eastwood will join forces with his countryman Frank Pritchard next season in what shapes up as one of the most intimidating back-row combinations in the club's history.
And don't rule out another firebrand addition from across the Tasman in the form of Melbourne star Adam Blair.
The international prop is still contracted to the Storm but Blair's 2011 contract value bears little resemblance to his ability. The 24-year-old knows he's worth much more and the Bulldogs know it, too.
Having released a host of fringe players on decent coin - including Jarrad Hickey, Danny Williams and Yileen Gordon - there's money available, despite the recruitment of Pritchard, Trent Hodkinson and Kris Keating, as well as extending Ryan Tandy's contract for a further two years.
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Our recruitment is so far backward.....
The dogs are doing it now, the knights did it a few years ago with Brian Smith and the roosters are also doing it now. Manly did it a few years ago with Hasler. They are all having success with this so our management have to show the door to some favourites that have made some fans at the eels but they have not done much since. A good example is Inu, KK, Wright, Mateo. I feel that there is at least 4 or 5 other players we can show the door because they are not over achieving and with the money they are on we can get better value out of other players from other
clubs.
We have a good catalyst for a 1st grade side but as I stated in another blog previously we need to buy better fringe players to push the starting 17 to their peak which could only be a better thing for the club and strong cpetition brings out the best in people but when our fringe players are not strong enough to push for a 1st grade spot only assures the starting 17 that they only have to play in 2nd gear because they will not lose their starting position.
We need players to seriously push each other and if that happens then we will be a very strong team next year even if we don't sign a descent half back because we have Humble, Murray, who can both play 1st grade int opinion.
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