Pay and the entire Bulldogs' staff were stood down without pay and while stating there were people doing it tougher than he during the coronavirus pandemic, admitted it did come as a shock.

"We got the bad news on Tuesday but there a lot of Australians out there in the same position," he told Fox League.

"We have got a good group of people in our club. It is just a shame that this is the circumstances that we find ourselves in.

"We had a meeting (with staff) on Tuesday night and ... we have a relatively young group and a lot of them were really taken aback (by season postponement).

"It started to hit home there and then (with players), they are all in shock.

"But they stick together and as a club that is what we have to do. That's the only way we will get through this."

Pay said he'll be fine to pay the bills "for a while" while adding he felt for everyone around the country who has been hit hard by the restrictions in place.

He added he was confident he would the Bulldogs coach when the season started up again.