Jacob Preston and the Bulldogs have patched things up, with the 24-year-old this week agreeing to stay at Belmore for another four years on a deal worth around $3 million.
The club had been desperate to re-sign Preston, but had been trying to keep things on the cheaper end at the same time and had lowballed the second rower several times.
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Whispers started building that Preston was looking at other options and didn’t want to be mucked around any longer, but he and GM of Football Gus Gould settled everything in a final meeting on Tuesday evening.
The club may wait until the end of the season to announce the deal, though it’s more likely they use it as a way to soften the blow come year’s end — the Bulldogs are headed for a finish outside the top eight.
The Sporting Base understands this deal favours Preston more than the Bulldogs; the Canterbury chiefs had wanted to re-sign the 24-year-old at around $650,000 a season originally, while Preston’s team were pushing for $800K. They’ve come down to $750K each campaign through to 2031.
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The Canberra Raiders tabling a $1.1 million a year contract for Hudson Young apparently had a little to do with the hike, with Preston using it as an example in the signing meetings.
The Bulldogs will now face the Panthers in a must-win battle on Friday night.
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