Canterbury coach Dean Pay has denied speaking to Josh Reynolds to lure him back to the Bulldogs while confirming there are three spots available to go to market with in 2020.
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The Bulldogs have listed 27 players plus two rookies on their biosecurity approved list to attend training and games, with hopes to fill the other three spots with quality recruits.
After the club sacked Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera earlier in the year, new recruit Joe Stimson was then ruled out for what is expected to be the season with a shoulder injury.
It leaves three vacancies in the Bulldog's top 17 line-up, and Pay is hopeful of finding the right players to plug the gaps.
"We've got a couple of spots open and I think most clubs have a couple of spots open, so there's an opportunity where if we get further injuries and we need to recruit we can bring some more players in," he said on Friday.
"I think we're in a pretty healthy position to be in."
The club is still awaiting clarification from the NRL over the salary cap, as well as whether top-30 rosters will need to be filled by June 30 as per a usual season.
On Monday, the NRL lifted restrictions on contract negotiations, allowing player trade to resume between clubs.
Wests Tigers utility Reynolds has been linked to a return to the Bulldogs, although Pay says he has not personally spoken to the former club cult hero.
"Not at this stage I haven't, but again, if it gets tossed up and we've got some spots available, he's a quality player," Pay said.
"It's different circumstances you need to get past before anything can happen.
"It's been talked up in the media in the past few days, and again, what we're interested in is some quality players and that's what he is.
"Josh would have to go through the Tigers and see where he's at but just from our point of view, if that was the case, we'd have to have a look at it."
Australian Associated Press
