Cameron Ciraldo spotted in talks with Jason Taylor as Bulldogs move for former NRL coach

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has been spotted in talks with Jason Taylor as Canterbury eyes another shake-up. What does it mean for the club’s current set-up?

Jason Taylor has been spotted in talks with Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo. Picture: NRL Photos

The crisis-torn Canterbury Bulldogs have identified former NRL coach and Rothmans Medal winning half-back Jason Taylor as the man to help fix the struggling NRL club.

This masthead can reveal Taylor was spotted in talks around an assistant coaching role with coach Cameron Ciraldo in a Belmore coffee shop on Friday morning.

The former Souths and Parramatta Eels coach is under contract for another 12 months at North Sydney, where he recently locked up the NSW Cup minor premiership.

The Bears have given him permission to talk to the Bulldogs.

The Bears have given Jason Taylor permission to talk to the Bulldogs

Canterbury already has Chad Randell and Mick Potter as assistant coaches. It has been suggested club favourite Potter will be relegated to coach the NSW Cup team to make way for Taylor.

Financially the position is hugely attractive to Taylor, who earns a little over $100,000 at the Bears.

At Belmore he would be paid $300,000-a-year.

The Bulldogs recently failed to sign axed Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook, who instead went to the Sydney Roosters under Trent Robinson.

His signing would be a huge bonus for the Bulldogs as a back-up to Ciraldo, who has been hugely disappointing in his first year of coaching.

Ciraldo has kept blaming the players and their poor work ethic for the club’s dismal performances without taking any responsibility himself.

The club has gone backwards this year, leaking 32 points a game – the worst defence in the competition.

Jason Taylor's signing would be a huge bonus for the Bulldogs as a back-up to Cameron Ciraldo.

There is now enormous unrest at the club following this masthead’s revelations last week of the cruel treatment of a young player who arrived slightly late for training.

The player is on personal leave and seeking mental health care.

Ciraldo did not return phone calls or text messages on Saturday.

North Sydney Bears chief executive Gareth Holmes confirmed the interest in Taylor.

“Jason mentioned they’d reached out,” Holmes said.

“It would be hard for us to stand in the way of someone with a good NRL opportunity.

“He’s done a great job for us and it would be disappointing to lose him.

“I know he wants to keep coaching and this has just popped up.

“I’m not sure he wants to be an NRL head coach again but he’d obviously make a great assistant.”

Taylor was a Rothmans medal winner in 1996 and Dally M captain of the year in 1998.

He has always been regarded as a great leader.

Originally published as Cameron Ciraldo spotted in talks with Jason Taylor as Bulldogs move for former NRL coach