Canterbury Bulldogs utility Bailey Hayward has reportedly secured his future at the club with a new long-term contract extension, as the Bulldogs prepare for the confirmed departure of Reed Mahoney at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old initially signed a one-year extension in March, keeping him at the Bulldogs until the end of the 2026 season.
However, The Daily Telegraph now reports the club has committed to a longer deal, adding a further two years to his contract and securing him through to the end of the 2028 NRL season.
The extension comes in response to the impending departure of the club’s current starting hooker, Reed Mahoney, who will leave the Bulldogs at the end of the season to join the North Queensland Cowboys on a three-year deal.
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A product of the Bulldogs’ junior pathways, Hayward also spent time with the Sydney Roosters before taking a brief three-month hiatus from rugby league.
Since returning to the field, he has emerged as one of Canterbury’s most underrated players – a key utility capable of stepping up and covering multiple crucial positions.
With Mahoney’s departure looming, Hayward has been earmarked as the Bulldogs’ long-term dummy-half, having recently taken over the hooker role in the club’s 32-14 victory over the New Zealand Warriors.
Despite stepping into the role previously held by Reed Mahoney, the young utility has been quick to acknowledge the influence of his current teammate in helping him adjust to this new role.
“Having a positional switch and probably not playing there anywhere near as much in my junior footy, he’s [Reed Mahoney] been a massive help,” Hayward told Zero Tackle.
“After trainings I’m picking his brain and he’s always there to answer questions that I ever need and he’s really clear. He’s taken me under his wing massively.”