Canterbury Bulldogs youngster Jacob Kiraz has revealed he is in no rush to re-sign with the club, despite general manager of football Phil Gould recently stating they hope to have a deal done in the coming weeks.
The boom youngster, who is a Canterbury youngster, but has been on a whirlwind path which has seen him as part of the Dragons, Cowboys and Knights systems before linking back up with the Bulldogs this year, made his NRL debut amid COVID chaos during Round 7 in a tight loss to the Brisbane Broncos.
Once told he wasn't good enough by the Bulldogs for their junior development pathways, he transitioned from a five-eighth to a centre during his time in the Dragons' SG Ball set up, before moving to the Cowboys and eventually to the Knights.
Despite making his debut at the club he has always wanted to play for, Kiraz told The Daily Telegraph that he is in no rush to re-sign.
“Yeah, it is a bit surreal,” Kiraz told the publication.
“But I am in no rush to sign the deal. I just want to be patient and make sure I make the right decision.”
His manager Chris Haddad has reportedly told the publication that up to four other clubs are in the pursuit for the talented young centre, who had fans sit up and take notice almost immediately during his debut.
On a train and trial deal, he will be allowed to play again from Round 11, unless injuries or suspensions cause the Bulldogs to ask for another exemption in the meantime.
Gould confirmed last week that talks regarding a deal were underway for Kiraz, with hopes he would re-sign shortly.
Jacob terrific. Great kid. Bright future. Spoke to his mgr 2 weeks ago re extension of contract. I expect to finalise a deal soon. Jacob cramped badly after 45 mins. Remember, young players have played little football past 2 years. Please allow us to handle player development. https://t.co/z571Ac8nPw
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) April 24, 2022
Four clubs being in the race may throw a spanner in the works there, with Kiraz revealing he had actually left a full-time contract at the Knights in the off-season for a train and trial deal at Belmore.
“I actually walked away from a guaranteed full-time deal at the end of last year to take up a trial and train opportunity with the Bulldogs,” Kiraz said.
“I really didn’t think I would get an opportunity at the Knights so I came back to give it a shot.”
The youngster plays centre for the Bulldogs in the NSW Cup against the North Sydney Bears on Saturday afternoon.
