Barrett remains the front-runner for Dean Pay's old top job at the NRL club, with the Bulldogs having spent this week training under interim coach Steve Georgallis.

The appointment of Barrett would mark his first head coaching role since his ugly spit with Manly in 2018.

"I do think he's ready. I wish he wouldn't go but he's got a great footy mind and he would make a great coach," Cleary said on Wednesday.

"There's only 16 head coach jobs out there so if he needs to do it and it's the best opportunity for him than we won't hold that against him."

Cleary though is hopeful Barrett will see out the year at Penrith, after his last stint as an assistant ended mid-season when marched after signing for Manly.

The NSW Origin No.7 credits Barrett for transforming the Panthers' attack this season to make them a genuine premiership force.

Their average points scored per game has gone from fourth worst in 2019 to second best this season - while the Bulldogs are last in that statistic.

Cleary said Barrett had helped develop the Panthers' talent and given them the "foundation" for their enterprising attack.

"He's been massive for me and I can't speak highly enough of what Baz has done," Cleary said.

"He's so good to bounce ideas off and talk footy with; he's a different voice and he's given me a great deal of confidence."

Bulldogs players meanwhile remain cut by Pay's departure, knowing their performances had done him no favours as the axe hung over his head.

And they want to do better by his interim replacement, with veteran Aiden Tolman suggesting there was no reason why Georgallis couldn't fill the job permanently.

"Trent Barrett is one of those I see in the media ... but we've got another guy here in Steve Georgallis who has taken over as interim coach," Tolman said.

"And if we go well this season I don't understand why he shouldn't be putting his resume forward to take over the top job as well.

"That's in our hands we've just got to go from there.

"It's been a tough four or five years here and we want to get the club back to where it should be."

Georgallis has moved immediately to spark Canterbury's attack, with Tolman admitting they had previously not adjusted well enough to the new, quicker NRL.

"Our attack was quite clunky, we have just had to simplify it and gone back to the basics," Tolman said.

"Our execution was poor. That's what we've tried to fix up this week."

Australian Associated Press