The Canterbury Bulldogs have been handed an off-season boost, with rising talent Jack Underhill abandoning any plans of requesting a release.
The Queensland-born forward is rated as one of the best junior talents in the sport, and has impressed at all levels, including first-grade, during his time based at Belmore to date.
It was revealed towards the final rounds of the season that he was weighing up his options long-term, having been dropped out of Cameron Ciraldo's side.
Debuting in Round 11 this year, Underhill played the first seven games of his first-grade career through the middle third for the blue and white, but then was axed back to the NSW Cup.
It's reported by News Corp that the rising talent has held meetings with Cameron Ciraldo and Phil Gould in recent days though, and has withdrawn the idea of leaving the club.
It's a major boost for the Bulldogs as they continue to pour time and resources into their future after a dismal 2026 season on the field, where they backed up 2025s top four performance with a finals miss.
Underhill is a major part of that future planning, and while he would have needed permission to leave had he decided that was the plan, the Bulldogs have him under contract through to the end of 2028, which could have created something of a stalemate.
The 2024 Jersey Flegg grand final player of the match signed his current deal at the end of 2024, and is unable to negotiate freely with rival clubs until November 1 next year.
It's understood the meeting which secured his future in blue and white saw Ciraldo tell Underhill he has a genuine NRL future with the Bulldogs, despite the selection decisions that were made at the back-end of 2026.
Underhill has decided, as a result of the meeting, to work for his future in blue and white.
As it stands, the Bulldogs have plenty of spots left for next year, and room in the middle third for Underhill to make what would likely be a bench spot his own.
As it stands, the Bulldogs have lost Fletcher Baker, Josh Curran and Daniel Suluka-Fifita (mid-season) from their forward pack, while Lipoi Hopoi has also been farewelled and is set to join the Canberra Raiders.
Samuel Hughes, Zyon Maiu'u, Kurt Mann, Jack Todd and hookers Jake Turpin and Patrick Young are the six forwards who remain off-contract, while Underhill is joined by Max King, Leo Thompson, Jaeman Salmon and, Finau Latu Alekolasimi Jones and Sitili Tupouniua (who is more of a second-rower than a prop) as the players who can play in the middle and are under contract for 2027.
