The Canterbury Bulldogs have failed to rule out a possible move for Rabbitohs halfback Lachlan Ilias after he was granted permission to negotiate with rival clubs.
On Monday, various publications revealed that Ilias was given permission to leave the Rabbitohs if he found new opportunities elsewhere - this was later confirmed by his agent,ย Braith Anasta.
Once considered the future face of the Rabbitohs in the halves role, Ilias has struggled to make the halfback role his own and was dropped by Jason Demetriou to the NSW Cup before sustaining a season-ending leg injury.
Now, with reports indicating the Rabbitohs have signed Lewis Dodd from St Helens in the Super League on a three-year contract beginning next season, his future at the club has become even more uncertain.
Dodd, 22, is one of the most sought-after talents in theย Super League, having played a pivotal role in St Helens' recent successes, including a premiership win in 2021 and kicking the winning field goal against the Panthers in the 2022 World Club Challenge match.
Since this news, multiple clubs could be on the lookout to recruit Ilias to improve their halves stocks including the Canterbury Bulldogs, Gold Coast Titans, North Queensland Cowboys, Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo revealed that while the club is constantly linked with every player on the open market, he "wouldn't rule out anything" when it comes to Ilias.
โI think we get linked to every player that comes on the market. That is nothing unusual," Ciraldo said via News Corp.
"Lachlan is a really good player and we do have space in our roster moving forward in the next few years.
โI didn't know too much about it until I got asked the question โฆ I wouldn't rule out anything but we are focused on the team we have here and developing through the system, we are really excited about that.โ
The Bulldogs have struggled in the halves for a number of years but currently have Matt Burton and Drew Hutchison in the halves, with Toby Sexton as their backup.
They also have several talented playmakers coming through the ranks including dual-code athlete Mitchell Woods, Wests Tigers recruit Alex Conti and Joseph O'Neill, who has been plying his trade in the club's NSW Cup team.
Although Ciraldo admitted that the club could pursue Ilias and take him from the Rabbitohs, he has stated that the attention will be on recruiting their younger players such as O'Neill and Conti.
โWe also have a big focus on developing players we have within here," the Bulldogs coach added.
"Our Jersey Flegg team is going well, our NSW Cup team is going well
"Our SG Ball team was in the grand final on the weekend.
โWe are very happy with where we sit and the players we have coming through at the club. But if a quality player does come on the market, we'll assess it at that time.โ
