Bulldogs NRLW coach Blake Cavallaro resigned over relationship with colleague

The Canterbury Bulldogs NRLW side is still without a head coach. Here is the untold story about the controversial exit of the man who was supposed to guide the club through its inaugural season.

Canterbury Bulldogs women’s head coach Blake Cavallaro resigned from the club after it was revealed he had an undeclared romance with a female colleague.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal the Bulldogs hierarchy lost trust in their newly appointed head coach after discovering the existence of his on-again-off-again relationship with the club’s then strength trainer, Sabrina Seitz.

Multiple sources said Ms Seitz reported the tryst to the Bulldogs’ hierarchy late last year when the romance with Cavallaro hit a bad spot.

The club became concerned the relationship could derail the Bulldogs’ inaugural season in the NRLW if it turned toxic and the pair couldn’t work together, the sources said.

The club confronted Cavallaro over the issue, which resulted in the coach resigning after the two parties reached an impasse on the issue.

Blake Cavallaro was appointed as the Bulldogs' inaugural NRLW coach in May, 2024.

Sources said the main concern was whether the relationship had the potential to become a problematic issue during the season.

In January, the Bulldogs made the shock announcement that Cavallaro was parting ways with the club, but gave no explanation why.

The move has left the Bulldogs women’s side without a head coach with less than two months until the season kicks off.

It can also be revealed Ms Seitz left the club for unrelated reasons about one month before Cavallaro departed.

Strength trainer Sabrina Seitz.

Cavallaro had only been appointed to the top job in May 2024.

This came after he defected from the Sydney Roosters where he had spent 12 years as a highly respected figure in positions that included the head of male and female pathways program.

He also coached the NSW under-19s team to wins in 2021 and 2022.

Cavallaro did not respond to questions sent to him via his social media accounts.

Ms Seitz did not respond to questions sent to her via email and on social media.

Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton also declined to comment.

The Saturday Telegraph understands Cavallaro and Ms Seitz’s relationship had begun before he was employed by the Bulldogs.

She had been brought on by the club in the period after Cavallaro got the job, but there is no suggestion that she did not merit the appointment.

It is understood that neither declared they had been in a relationship in the initial stages.

Sources have said relations between Cavallaro and the Bulldogs broke down when the parties reached an impasse on whether the relationship could be problematic for the club if the pair had a lovers’ tiff mid-season.

The Bulldogs have taken a hardline stance on building a culture of trust and professionalism after representative winger Josh Addo-Carr was sacked for testing positive to cocaine and then lying to the club about it.

When Cavallaro was hired, Bulldogs Supremo Phil Gould said the ex-Rooster was the perfect person for the job.

“With this, our first venture into the NRLW, it was imperative we sourced an experienced, well-respected person to manage and coach our women’s program,” Gould said at the time.

“Blake Cavallaro ticked all the boxes in this regard, and we are delighted that he has joined the Bulldogs.”

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Originally published as Bulldogs NRLW coach Blake Cavallaro resigned over relationship with colleague