The Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed a contract extension for young forward Alekolasimi (AJ) Jones.
The middle third forward debuted in Round 9 of the 2026 NRL season and went on to play half a dozen games for Cameron Ciraldo's struggling outfit throughout the course of the year.
Noted as a player the Bulldogs want to build around for the future, the club will now do just that after locking in his signature until the end of 2029 on a two-year extension.
He was already contracted until the end of 2027 but would have been able to hit the free agency market on November 1 if the Bulldogs hadn't locked in his future.
A product of the Bulldogs pathways, Jones has progressed through all of the grades at Belmore, and the 21-year-old said he was thrilled to have re-signed.
“I'm excited and humbled to have my future secured for another two years. I love everything about this Club from the fans to the coaches and the connection all the boys have,” he said.
“I got a taste of the NRL this year and it's only made me hungrier to keep working hard and hopefully earn my spot in the team next season.”
Jones, at this stage, is likely to play a more prominent role off the bench for Ciraldo's side in 2027, although could still be on the fringe of the squad and split his time between the NSW Cup and top grade.
The departure of Kurt Mann will leave the Bulldogs looking for a second option in the 13 jumper beyond Jaeman Salmon though, and that could well be Jones.
The club have 27 players locked in for 2027, and it's not believed they have more major signings on the way.
Bulldogs director of football Phil Gould labelled Jones one of the best products at the club.
“AJ is one of our brightest prospects coming through the pathways system here and we couldn't be happier to lock him in until the end of 2029,” he said.
"He got a good insight into what it takes to be an NRL player this year and we believe he has a very bright future as a Bulldog."
The Bulldogs have made plenty of progress off the future in recent times, with the headline re-signing of Jacob Preston before the end of the regular season joined by the arrivals of Freddy Lussick, Connor Votano, Jesse McLean and Jaxson Allen.
