There likely hasn’t been a top four side that has endured more change in recent years than the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2025, and yet there seems to be even more movement unfolding at Belmore.
Jason Taylor is shifting from Cameron Ciraldo’s NRL assistant role to take over as head coach of Canterbury’s NSW Cup side, club GM Phil Gould confirmed.
The move comes as Adam O’Brien joins the Bulldogs’ coaching staff following his departure from the Newcastle Knights.
With O’Brien’s arrival, the restructure was seen as both a natural and strategic adjustment for Taylor, one that could play to his strengths as a mentor and developer of talent.
The move will then shift former NSW Cup coach Mick Potter into a new role, with Gould confirming the switch on social media.
“Mick is now working in our Academy program with the Academy Coaches,” he said on X.
“(He is) also looking after junior positional coaching programs.”
A former goal-kicking halfback and captain, Taylor brings vast experience, having previously served as coach at the Parramatta Eels, South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Wests Tigers, and played more than 150 first-grade games for the North Sydney Bears and Northern Eagles.
There’s also growing talk from the west that Taylor could feature in future plans for the Perth Bears expansion franchise, with speculation suggesting he’s being considered for a coaching or management role due to his Bears connections and decades of experience.
For now, his focus shifts to guiding the Bulldogs’ NSW Cup outfit, a crucial part of Canterbury’s broader push to strengthen depth and development under Ciraldo’s system.