The Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed the addition of Jason Taylor to their coaching staff for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The two-year deal will see Taylor become one of the key assistant coaches under Cameron Ciraldo, who endured a tough rookie season at Belmore as a head coach.
Taking over the battling club under the guide of director Phil Gould, the Bulldogs could only muster a 15th-placed finish and the pressure will likely turn up a notch on the coach if he can't find a way for improvement at Belmore in 2024.
Taylor has a long history as an NRL coach and will bring a wealth of experience to Ciraldo's staff, having 140 NRL games under his belt with the Parramatta Eels, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Wests Tigers.
He has also held assistant coaching roles and, more recently, coached the North Sydney Bears to the minor premiership in the 2023 NSW Cup competition. They were ultimately beaten by the South Sydney Rabbitohs in last Sunday's grand final.
The Bulldogs paid thanks to the Bears for allowing Taylor to leave the club in a statement, with the understanding that he had been contracted at the proud reserve grade club next year.
The Bears themselves are undergoing a period of transition, with 2023 marking the final season where they would serve as one of the Roosters' feeder clubs at NRL level.
The Bears will continue to be fed NRL squad players in 2024 for their NSW Cup side however, with the Bears signing a partnership agreement with the Melbourne Storm from the start of 2024.
It will give the Storm a presence in the NSW Cup for the first time since they stopped working with the Newtown Jets in what was a joint partnership with the Cronulla Sharks at one stage.
Taylor could also have worked his way into Melbourne's system, however, has instead elected to link up with the struggling Bulldogs where he will aim to help Ciraldo turn the struggling club around.
