Canterbury figureheads are set to hold emergency talks on Monday to discuss the future of coach Trent Barrett after their 2-8 start to the 2022 season.
The Bulldogs entered the season as a top-eight smokey after bringing in the likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton, Tevita Pangai Jr and Matt Dufty, but through 10 rounds they sit dead last.
Pressure has particularly ramped up after the Bulldogs were beaten 16-6 by fellow cellar dwellers in Newcastle on Friday, with some reports describing the defeat as a breaking point.
Comparing Barrett’s poor win rate to other sacked coaches, The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio believes “there’s a sense of inevitability” about his future in the role.
“There’s a sense of inevitability around this and that’s unfortunate for Canterbury fans and Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett,” Riccio said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“We know there will be a meeting held today with GM of footy Phil Gould and the chairman John Khoury.
“On the stats alone, Trent Barrett has a 15.2 per cent strike-rate in his coaching career, five wins from 33 games, that’s 28 losses.
“That’s the second-worst record only to foundation coach Ed Courtney back in 1935 who had a 12.5 per cent strike-rate.
“If you go back to the previous coach Dean Pay, he was sacked with a 33 per cent strike-rate, that’s better than Trent Barrett at the moment.
“You have to look at the way the Bulldogs are playing, there hasn’t been a change, there hasn’t been an improvement.”
With the club potentially moving on Barrett as soon as Wednesday, SEN host Andrew Voss called for Canterbury general manager of football and two-time premiership coach Phil Gould to step in on an interim basis.
“Someone’s got to coach this week, they’re playing Friday night,” Voss said.
“I’m saying Gus to coach.
While Gould is an option that the Bulldogs could bring straight in, Riccio offered a few other names that may be in the frame if Barrett is moved on.
“I don’t think the Phil Gould situation works, I can’t see that happening at all,” Riccio said.
“The name Kristian Woolf keeps coming up to me, he’s been in the UK Super League and he’s the coach of Tonga.
“As for Shane Flanagan, I think that’s a bridge too far considering (his son) Kyle is there.
“Paul Green’s the other one sitting in the background waiting for a job. Would he come in and take care of the Bulldogs?”
Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo has also been linked to a head role at several NRL clubs in the past.