Josh Jackson’s shock decision to retire immediately has left the Bulldogs with a leadership void to fill — but also $500,000 up their sleeve to play with.
The 31-year-old made the call on Thursday, informing his teammates that morning before the club released a statement.
Jackson had just one more year to run on his contract but has chosen to hang up his boots to spend more time focusing on family and life after footy.
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While there’s no doubt Jackson’s body has been battered and bruised throughout his 241-game career, there’s also a theory that the skipper selflessly called time early to give his beloved Bulldogs a better chance at keeping Matt Burton.
Burton has an option in his favour for 2024 and from November 1 can negotiate with rivals.
His first full NRL season at five-eighth saw him earn a New South Wales and Kangaroos debut, albeit both in the centres, so he is due for a well-deserved pay rise.
The 22-year-old is currently earning around $500,000-a-season and the club has already reportedly tabled a four-year extension at $750,000-a-season.
However he could reportedly receive offers close to $1 million.
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The Bulldogs will likely have to upgrade Burton’s salary for next season as part of their extension talks. But to do that they need cap space — something that was hard to find with the likes of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney joining the pack.
Well it was, until Jackson dropped his retirement bombshell.
The Bulldogs now have around $500,000 to spend for 2023 and a head start on the 2024 roster knowing Jackson won’t be on it.
Some of that $500,000 is expected to be used to upgrade Burton and the rest could be used on a late signing ahead of 2023.
There’s also the option of keeping a little that will carry over to 2024. Clubs are required to spend at least 95 per cent of their cap each season and what is left over can be applied to the following season to a player that is already contracted.
Football manager Phil Gould revealed in July that there were five spots left on the 2023 roster. Mahoney, Kikau and Ryan Sutton were likely accounted for as was Jackson, but it’s unclear whether Jacob Preston, Andrew Davey, Hayze Perham or Franklin Pele had signed by this stage.
It is also unclear whether that roster update included the re-signing of Jackson Topine or any upgrades of Zach Dockar-Clay, Kurtis Morrin, Josh Stuckey, Declan Casey, Harrison Edwards or Jeral Skelton, who were all on train-and-trial deals.
Regardless, the Bulldogs, as most clubs do, will keep a couple of Top 30 spots free over the summer to either promote from within or to hit the market — and there’s still quite a few players available for 2023.
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MARTIN TAUPAU
The veteran prop started his career at the Bulldogs and could finish it there if experience is what the club is looking for. Taupau doesn’t have a deal for next season and does not want to retire. The 32-year-old has 222 games worth of NRL experience, has played 24 games for New Zealand and six for Samoa, whom he is currently representing in the Rugby League World Cup. With Jackson retiring and Paul Vaughan departing, adding an older head in the middle could be a wise move.
JAEMAN SALMON
The Bulldogs were rumoured to be interested the Panthers utility and although there’s an extension offer on the table for Salmon at Penrith, he’s yet to sign on the dotted line. The 23-year-old featured in every game except two this year and became the premiers’ Mr. Fix It, playing in the second row and also filling in at five-eighth.
ADAM KEIGHRAN
Another utility style player yet to be snapped up by a club for 2023. Adam Keighran proved his worth in 2021, slotting in at hooker, five-eighth and centre for the Roosters when they were hit hard with injuries, but got limited opportunities this year. The 25-year-old will not be at the Roosters next season and although he’s received interest from a couple of NRL clubs and a Super League club, he is still a free agent. Keighran actually played in the Bulldogs’ lower grades as a five-eighth but has found a home in the centres — an area the club is a little slim in while the likes of Jeral Skelton, Paul Alamoti and Declan Casey continue developing.
TUKU HAU TAPUHA
They say a club can never have enough forwards and when it comes to size they don’t get much bigger than Tuku Hau Tapuha. The 20-year-old, who stands at 196cm and weighs 114kg, was on a development deal with the Roosters this year but hasn’t been signed for next season.
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As for 2024, Jackson was already off-contract. If he did re-sign though it would have been on less than the $500,000 he stood to earn next season.
The Bulldogs would have already factored that into their plans, but what Jackson’s immediate decision has done is given the club valuable clarity on the eve of a November 1 feeding frenzy.
The club is now armed with at least an extra $200,000 with several big name players available to chase.
STEPHEN CRICHTON
New Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has declared he “won’t be calling” any Panthers players come November 1 given he spent nearly a decade at the club “building trust”. But if they come to him, it’ll be a different story. There’s several players that will hit the open market on Tuesday and are due for a pay rise, including Stephen Crichton. Penrith will feel the squeeze trying to keep all of them and he is said to have aspirations to play fullback. That won’t happen at Penrith while Dylan Edwards is there, but the Bulldogs’ No.1 jersey is far from locked in.
BRIAN TO’O
If the Dogs can’t get Crichton, they may as well try their luck with Brian To’o. The only issue is that he is a specialist winger and would force Jacob Kiraz to shift into the centres — which may actually end up being the right move.
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JESSE RAMIEN
The Bulldogs’ centre options are not very convincing at the moment. Aaron Schoupp is on the rise, Alamoti is a star of the future, while Casey and Skelton are still perfecting their craft. Braidon Burns and Corey Allan have had their chances but aren’t the answer. What the club needs is a centre that’s in his peak now or is about to hit it. The Sharks are in a similar position to the Panthers in that a stack of talent is coming off contract in 2024 and it may be struggle to keep them all. Jesse Ramien had one of his best seasons to date and at just 25-year-old still has so much more to offer.
MITCHELL MOSES
Experts will say a halfback should be at the top of the Bulldogs’ list — the only issue is that there aren’t many available. With all due respect to Kyle Flanagan, who showed a lot of improvement this year, he’s not ready to steer a team to a premiership. Mitchell Moses hasn’t got a premiership on his resume but did guide the Eels to a grand final and had arguably his best season to date. It’s understood Moses is happy at the Eels but he’s also heading to market. The Bulldogs woud have to throw in just about all of the Jackson money on top of what they already have to spend for 2024 to lure Moses to Belmore though, with the Tigers said to be planning a big bid for the 28-year-old.
REUBEN GARRICK
Much like Crichton, there’s been talk that Reuben Garrick is interested in a future at fullback — but that’s not going to happen at Manly while Tom Trbojevic is there.The Knights are reportedly going after Garrick for next season to play fullback but will stop their chase if they have to wait until 2024. Although he’s now a specialist winger, he also has a history in the centres. It’s worth the conversation.
