Toby Sexton has reinvigorated his NRL career since arriving in Belmore midway through the 2023 season.
The 24-year-old has played 26 games for the Bulldogs and last year managed to steer the club to their first finals berth in eight seasons.
Now in the final year of his contract, Sexton has become a hot commodity in a league which is desperate for competent play at the halfback position.
Sporting News has the latest on Toby Sexton’s next contract move
Cameron Ciraldo: The halves position 'has been working really well for us'
Canterbury-Bankstown head coach Cameron Ciraldo has authored a perfect start to the season through six games and credits a big part of the success to his chief playmaker.
"He’s been a really big character in the way we’ve turned around our culture and our connectivity," he said to The Daily Telegraph.
"Currently Toby is off-contract and he hasn’t once ever put himself before the team."
Speculation around Sexton's contract negotiations has been spotlighted in recent weeks due to the ongoing saga involving Tigers star Lachlan Galvin.
These rumours have since been dispelled after The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the club isn't interested in signing Galvin at this time.
"We are not involved in the Lachlan Galvin discussion and we won’t be involved in the Lachlan Galvin discussion," Gus Gould revealed to the publication.
In his media availability on Wednesday, Ciraldo didn't provide any clarity on which playmaker they will zero in on to fill the number seven jersey in 2026.
"Toby is doing a good job and the big parts of his game he's done really well. There's some areas in his game that we want to see him improve as well and he's aware of that," he said.
"While he's doing that and improving every week, those other things will come."
Will Canterbury re-sign Toby Sexton?
Per a report from The Daily Telegraph, Sexton's team and the Bulldogs are close to finalising a two to three-year contract extension that will be worth over $1 million.
Sexton's manager Tas Bartlett of PSM confirmed their side's interest to return to Belmore.
“We've got interest from a couple of clubs, but our priority is getting a deal done with the Bulldogs,” Bartlett told The Daily Telegraph in the report.
With the market for quality halves becoming increasingly thin despite the saturated demand around the competition, prioritising Sexton in their recruitment and retention strategy would be a major achievement for Gus and his staff.
Who is Toby Sexton’s competition at Canterbury?
Below Sexton on the Bulldogs current depth chart are a couple of highly touted local juniors.
Bailey Hayward, who has already played 26 games for the club, is a versatile player who has filled in at five-eighth to start the year after a Matt Burton injury.
Ciraldo spoke to Hayward's value as a selfless teammate who gives the team different options going forward.
"I think Bailey Hayward came in and did a really good job helping as well and showed that he is another option in the halves if we do have those (injury) scenarios," he said.
Another young half in the Bulldogs squad is Mitchell Woods who was the 2024 SG Ball Player of the Series.
Woods was the halfback for that Canterbury side who lost in the SG Ball Grand Final to the Dragons last season, in the same year he made his Jersey Flegg debut.
The 18-year-old recently inked a four-year deal with the Bulldogs, with Gus heaping praise on him at the time of signing.
"Mitchell could have chosen any number of sporting codes to pursue a professional career, our game is lucky that Mitchell has chosen rugby league," said Gould.
Elsewhere on their development list is halfback Joseph O'Neill who has shown promise in the lower grades.
Toby Sexton current contract situation
Sexton is currently signed through 2025 and is free to negotiate with any club.