NRL 2023: Bulldogs boss Phil Gould spotted meeting with South Sydney’s Blake Taaffe

A popular South Sydney gun has been captured at a secret meeting with the Bulldogs’ powerful head of football Phil Gould.

Phil Gould meets with South Sydney fullback Blake Taaffe.

South Sydney utility Blake Taaffe is the latest player to appear on the radar of the Bulldogs after being captured at a secret meeting with the club’s powerful head of football Phil Gould.

This masthead was sent a picture of Gould, Taaffe and another Bulldogs official - believed to be recruitment boss Peter Sharp - in deep discussion, where it is understood they spoke about the prospects of signing Taaffe next season.

Taaffe is off contract at the end of the year and yet to receive an offer from the Rabbitohs given their salary cap is tight and the No.1 jersey is occupied by Latrell Mitchell.

Souths would love to keep him but they don’t want to stand in his way should he find an opportunity elsewhere. The Bulldogs could yet be the beneficiaries after he starred for Souths in their loss to Canterbury Bankstown at Accor Stadium on the weekend.

Just days after producing arguably his best performance of the season, he sat down with Gould to discuss his future.

Phil Gould meets with South Sydney fullback Blake Taaffe.

The Bulldogs have been among the more active clubs in the player market in recent weeks and months. Gold Coast recruit Toby Sexton starred for the side at halfback at the weekend and have signed Penrith and NSW centre Stephen Crichton for next season.

Crichton signed with the Bulldogs to play fullback but Taaffe’s possible arrival would give the club the flexibility to move the Penrith star to the centres and hand Taaffe the No.1 jersey.

The Bulldogs have also been linked with Brisbane prop Payne Haas and more recently Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who had a clause in his contract allowing him to test the market when coach Justin Holbrook was sacked.

Gould distanced the club from Fa’asuamaleaui on Monday night after this masthead revealed the club’s major sponsor Arthur Laundy was preparing a multimillion dollar deal for the Titans enforcer that would also have allowed him to buy a stake in the Laundy hotel groups.

The NRL put a kybosh to the plan because it went against the game’s salary cap rules.