NRL contract news: Bulldogs lock in young gun as November 1 player market frenzy begins
About $40 million worth of talent will hit the open market on Sunday, with the November 1st deadline coming to a close. But one of the game’s brightest young talents will not be among them, with the Bulldogs pouncing early.
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Canterbury have secured one of the game’s brightest young talents as a host of big-name players officially hit the open market at midnight.
The Bulldogs stellar off-season continues with the club securing 20-year-old local product Jake Averillo until the end of 2023.
It comes as about $40 million worth of playing talent are now free-agents for the 2022 season. The likes of Kotoni Staggs, Mitchell Pearce, Ryan Matterson, Mitchell Moses, Matt Burton, Shaun Johnson, Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai, Matt Dufty, Cameron McInnes, Latrell Mitchell, Adam Reynolds, Angus Crichton, James Tedesco and Daniel Tupou are allowed to negotiate with rival clubs.
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Burton is expected to be the most in-demand with the rookie half having no less than six clubs chasing his services. Wests Tigers, Brisbane, Canterbury, North Queensland, Cronulla and St George Illawarra will all express interest in signing the 20-year-old. Burton’s current club Penrith have indicated they would not entertain releasing him from his contract a year early.
One player who will not hit the open market is Averillo. The utility back is expected to get first crack in the halves if the Bulldogs are unable to entice Burton to the club to partner new recruit Kyle Flanagan.
Averillo played 13 games this year and was named Canterbury’s rookie of the year. Bulldogs boss Andrew Hill said Averillo showed great promise.
“Jake has shown during his first season at Belmore that he has the talent and versatility to be an excellent player for this club for a long time to come,” Hill said.
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“His progression through the local junior competition and then through our lower grades is a great example of what we are trying to achieve as a development club and we think that he will benefit enormously from working under Trent Barrett.
“We believe that with recent signings we are creating the opportunity for a new beginning here at Belmore leading into next season and Jake will be a major part of that.”
Incoming coach Barrett will start at Belmore next week. The Bulldogs have had an impressive post-season. Barrett will be joined by Flanagan and new recruits Nick Cotric and Jack Hetherington.
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Grand finalists Penrith have secured Robert Jennings on a one-year deal. Jennings, 24, returns to the Panthers after stints with South Sydney and the Tigers.
“I was over the moon when I heard there was a chance to come back to Penrith,” Jennings said. “This is where I grew up, where my career started and this is the place I call home”.
Jennings played five games for the Panthers in 2015.