Phil Gould’s Bulldogs have inked a five-year deal with Cameron Ciraldo, showing unprecedented faith in the first-time head coach. So how’s it stack up to other deals involving rookies landing the top job?
Cameron Ciraldo was a man in demand and it led to a record-setting deal, compared to other recently-appointed first-time NRL coaches.
The high number of vacant head coaching positions, plus other positions under acute scrutiny, gave the highly sought-after Penrith Assistant additional leverage through negotiations, which has paid off huge.
The five-year contract, reportedly worth $800,000 a year, was eyebrow-raising around NRL circles. In fact, it’s an unprecedented show of faith, comparing his reported deal to what other recently-appointed first-time head coaches demanded. None of the other comparable deals were five-year offers.
After serving an apprenticeship under Trent Robinson at the Roosters, Craig Fitzgibbon was handed a three-year deal to take over the Sharks last off-season.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten was also offered a three-year deal from 2021 after impressing in an interim role for the Warriors the year prior. He has catapulted North Queensland into the top four this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesJason Demtriou was shown similar faith by the Rabbitohs, given a four-year deal starting in 2022, after being Wayne Bennett’s lead assistant.
And Kevin Walters was issued with the task of restoring the formerly great Broncos back to the top of the ladder in 2021, but even he was only given a two-year deal after a reign as the Queensland Maroons head coach.
Five-year deals are usually preserved for the NRL’s elite; names like Bellamy, Bennett, Cleary and Robinson.
From all reports, Ciraldo has been crucial in Penrith’s recent success. The Panthers’ desperation to keep him alongside Ivan Cleary and push away surrounding interest speaks loudly to that.
But it must be questioned whether a lucrative five-year contract is too large a leap of faith. Was this Phil Gould and the Bulldogs’ best and only option to lead them out of the post-Trent Barrett era?
The Belmore-based club have been perennial strugglers over the last six years, with their last finals appearance coming in 2016; only finishing as high as 13th in that time period. For the second time in a two-year span, the club will put its faith in an inexperienced coach to lead them out of ladder wilderness.
After only signing former coach Barrett at the start of 2021, the Bulldogs looked set to grow their young squad. But the side won just two games and played an uninspiring brand.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd at one point into season 2022, Barrett presented just five wins from his first 33 games before ultimately being shown the door, with two years still remaining on his contract. Adding to the concerns around Barrett, the Bulldogs showed immediate improvement under interim and former head coach Mick Potter.
So while the Canterbury outfit will again enter the off-season with an optimistic feel, it’s hard not to reflect on what’s just happened, under another young head coach who will have the weight of a heavy contract bearing down.
Ciraldo’s Penrith links may help to put recruits Matt Burton and Villiame Kikau at ease, at least. And that quality will help the team emerge, alongside the home-grown rising talent, plus other recent signings Josh Addo-Carr and Eels hooker Reed Mahoney. Those players agreed to join Barrett’s Bulldogs, so there’s potentially some conflict to resolve.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo while there is reason for fans to feel excited about what lies ahead, another implosion would have dire financial consequences, similar to those experienced in the post-Des Hasler period around 2018 when the club was forced to ride out of multiple large back-ended deals.
But a glance at what Fitzgibbon, Payten, Demetriou and Walters have all managed to achieve with their squads this season will promote internal belief that with the support of Bulldogs’ brass, Ciraldo too can emerge as a young coach that fosters success.
