TOP Dog Des Hasler may yet survive, but his misfiring roster remains in the crosshairs with Matty Johns pushing for a $2.2 million cut and run on the futures of Moses Mbye and Michael Lichaa at Canterbury.

On the same day that CEO Raelene Castle fronted the press declaring Hasler’s two-year extension was at most a month away, his side pulled off a gutsy 10-7 upset of heavyweights Brisbane.

But just as Castle stressed that the continuing negotiations were not “results-related”, one breakthrough win does not immediately solve the key issues plaguing the Bulldogs best 17.

Speaking after the match Johns declared there “absolutely has to be” an overhaul of Hasler’s roster when a number of big names come off-contract at the end of the season.

Asked where he would start his cull, Johns zeroed in on the underfire hooker, whose three-year, $1 million contract at the club expires this year.

Ben Ikin, Nathan Ryan and Ben Glover break down where it’s all gone wrong for the Bulldogs and the roster moves they need to make to become premiership contenders again.

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“It’s got to be the creative players, I think Lichaa,” Johns said on Late Night with Matty Johns.

“The (number) nine is so important. He’s the focal point of your attack and I think that either Moses Mbye or (Josh) Reynolds have to go into the nine jersey.”

Pressed on a second player to be shown the door, Johns responded: “I think it’s Mbye”, before doubling down on his push for an overhaul again on Friday morning.

“There’s no doubt that there’s got to be a clean out at the Dogs,” the Knights great said on Triple M’s Grill Team.

“It’s got to take place … The creativity players at the Bulldogs, it’s just not there at the moment.

“They need to go out and sign a couple of top line playmakers.

“Whether that’s (Wests Tigers stars) Mitchell Moses and (James) Tedesco, whether that’s (Warriors five-eighth) Kieran Foran and Tedesco, I don’t know.

“But they’ve got to find someone quick.”

The Bulldogs have been linked to all three of the creative types Johns lists above, with foxsports.com.au revealing the club’s plans to poach Tedesco, and teammate Aaron Woods earlier this week.

Punting Mbye would be one of Canterbury’s biggest calls in some time given his status as one of the highest paid players at Belmore, signed last year on an estimated $750,000 salary until the end of 2020.

Mbye sat out the Bulldogs gutsy round five win through suspension, with rookie halfback replacement Matt Frawley providing a steady hand in the come from behind win.

That prompted former teammate Michael Ennis to suggest Mbye shift to hooker to accommodate Frawley at the expense of Lichaa.

Reynolds has previously been tipped as a possible hooking option as well.

But the Origin-winning playmaker has shot down suggestions of a move into the forwards, fearing a series of shoulder injuries would make him a liability defending in the middle of the ruck.

Reynolds, Lichaa and fullback Will Hopoate are the biggest Bulldogs names off-contract at the end of 2017, with Reynolds understood to be chasing up to $800,000 a season.

Just this week Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said he would be interested in Reynolds if he was forced out of his junior club, a scenario the Bulldogs dismissed recently via a club statement.

That in itself came as an unusual move when most speculation goes without official comment from clubs.

Hopoate’s future also remains clouded given his market value as a premiership winning rep player is conservatively three times his reported earnings at the Bulldogs.

The centre-cum-fullback — currently sidelined with a facial fracture — was picked up for a reported steal late in 2015 when his contract with Parramatta fell over amid a messy legal battle.

The Daily Telegraph reported last season that Hopoate’s contract was worth only $120,000 in 2016 and $150,000 in 2017.

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