Local junior Bailey Hayward has confirmed he will extend his contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs through to the end of 2026.
Originally off-contract at the end of this year, Hayward has been able to negotiate around his future with rival clubs since November 1, but took himself off the open market on Tuesday with a contract extension.
Confirmed by Zero Tackle last week, Hayward's confirmed extension will add a year to his time at Belmore, where he has become an important utility option for the club, slotting into the five-eighth role last weekend as part of the run on side in the absence of Matt Burton.
Already a Scotland representative, Hayward is a pathways player at Cantebrury having previously captained the Jersey Flegg side.
Phil Gould said the club was thrilled to have him commit to a new deal.
โBailey is a shining example of the kind of players that we are looking to bring through our Academy system,โ Gould said in a club statement.
"He is a well-spoken young man that is a local of the Canterbury-Bankstown district. He understands this Club well and we are thrilled to have him commit further.
โHe has a no-nonsense approach to training and gameday, and while he has been thrown in many different situations on the field, he has thrived with the responsibility.
โWe're looking forward to seeing how his role evolves in the coming seasons.โ
Hayward told Zero Tackle that, despite taking a hiatus from rugby league at one point, he had an itch to come back and he said the same fire and love for the game is still there.
"I think there were a couple of things going on in life that I sort of thought were more important, but it wasn't long," Hayward told Zero Tackle.
"I was only out of the game for three months and I had that itch to come back. That love for the game and fire in the belly brought me back and it's there still."
