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Via Telegraph Sport Fatima Kdouh
The Bulldogs have shown the door to multiple players during the past couple of months, but there is one local junior that is in the long term plans of the Belmore club.
Jake Averillo knows staying at Canterbury means rising winger Jacob Kiraz will be gunning for his fullback spot, but the local junior can’t see himself in any colours other than the blue and white of the Bulldogs.
The playmaker is in the final year of his deal at Belmore and the club has started negotiations to keep the 22-year-old at the club.
The Bankstown junior told The Daily Telegraph he wants to be part of new coach Cameron Ciraldo’s rebuild.
“I’d love to stay at the club. They have been really good to me in the last couple of years. Being a local junior, I’d love to stay here. There are big things happening under Ciro (Ciraldo),” Averillo said.
“Walking in on day one of pre-season it just felt refreshing, the club is on the up and I want to be part of that.”
Averillo is keen to cement the fullback spot long-term after interim coach Mick Potter handed him the No. 1 jumper in round 14 last season.
After being shuffled between the halves, centre and even used off the bench, since making his debut in 2020, Averillo believes fullback is his new home.
“I’m feeling good about the move. I’m keen to get a full pre-season at fullback, it will be my first full pre-season there. I’m new to the position but getting the last few weeks under my belt has been good. I want to lock down that position,” Averillo said.
The club is looking at Penrith superstar centre Stephen Crichton, who has ambitions to play fullback. So too Kiraz, who impressed for Lebanon in the No. 1 jumper at the World Cup.
But Averillo won’t shy away from either challenge and will use the competition with Kiraz over the summer as motivation.
“He’s (Kiraz) just a football player, he’s real fast and dynamic. He has good instincts and he’s hard to tackle,” Averillo said.
“I know he’ll be at my heels but also pushing me to be better. But that’s what I want. You want teammates pushing each other.”
Averillo was one of seven locally produced players in the Bulldogs squad who had their junior club surprised with a donation at the Canterbury-Bankstown Junior League gala on Wednesday.
The funding is a recognition of the role junior clubs in the district have played in developing the likes of Averillo and Kiraz.
The Canterbury League Club donated $500 for every year the player was with the junior club, with Averillo’s six years at Bankstown Sports earning the club $3000.
Kiraz’s 10 years at St Johns netted the Eagles $5000.
“This is going to mean a lot. Most people at junior clubs are volunteers, they are parents just trying to help out. Junior clubs are like your second home, I spent all my weekends there. I’d play on Saturday and go back on Sunday to watch the older boys play,” Averillo said.
“It’s where I started playing footy and where I feel in love with rugby league.
“So any kind of money will go a long way to help the clubs. It’s a thank you for them, to give back to them what they have given to me.”
The Berala Bears were also awarded $5000 as the district‘s club of the year.
The initiative was designed to grow the production line of future NRL talent from the Canterbury-Bankstown district, where the likes of club legends George Peponis, Steve Folkes and Terry Lamb all played their junior football.
The Bulldogs have shown the door to multiple players during the past couple of months, but there is one local junior that is in the long term plans of the Belmore club.
Jake Averillo knows staying at Canterbury means rising winger Jacob Kiraz will be gunning for his fullback spot, but the local junior can’t see himself in any colours other than the blue and white of the Bulldogs.
The playmaker is in the final year of his deal at Belmore and the club has started negotiations to keep the 22-year-old at the club.
The Bankstown junior told The Daily Telegraph he wants to be part of new coach Cameron Ciraldo’s rebuild.
“I’d love to stay at the club. They have been really good to me in the last couple of years. Being a local junior, I’d love to stay here. There are big things happening under Ciro (Ciraldo),” Averillo said.
“Walking in on day one of pre-season it just felt refreshing, the club is on the up and I want to be part of that.”
Averillo is keen to cement the fullback spot long-term after interim coach Mick Potter handed him the No. 1 jumper in round 14 last season.
After being shuffled between the halves, centre and even used off the bench, since making his debut in 2020, Averillo believes fullback is his new home.
“I’m feeling good about the move. I’m keen to get a full pre-season at fullback, it will be my first full pre-season there. I’m new to the position but getting the last few weeks under my belt has been good. I want to lock down that position,” Averillo said.
The club is looking at Penrith superstar centre Stephen Crichton, who has ambitions to play fullback. So too Kiraz, who impressed for Lebanon in the No. 1 jumper at the World Cup.
But Averillo won’t shy away from either challenge and will use the competition with Kiraz over the summer as motivation.
“He’s (Kiraz) just a football player, he’s real fast and dynamic. He has good instincts and he’s hard to tackle,” Averillo said.
“I know he’ll be at my heels but also pushing me to be better. But that’s what I want. You want teammates pushing each other.”
Averillo was one of seven locally produced players in the Bulldogs squad who had their junior club surprised with a donation at the Canterbury-Bankstown Junior League gala on Wednesday.
The funding is a recognition of the role junior clubs in the district have played in developing the likes of Averillo and Kiraz.
The Canterbury League Club donated $500 for every year the player was with the junior club, with Averillo’s six years at Bankstown Sports earning the club $3000.
Kiraz’s 10 years at St Johns netted the Eagles $5000.
“This is going to mean a lot. Most people at junior clubs are volunteers, they are parents just trying to help out. Junior clubs are like your second home, I spent all my weekends there. I’d play on Saturday and go back on Sunday to watch the older boys play,” Averillo said.
“It’s where I started playing footy and where I feel in love with rugby league.
“So any kind of money will go a long way to help the clubs. It’s a thank you for them, to give back to them what they have given to me.”
The Berala Bears were also awarded $5000 as the district‘s club of the year.
The initiative was designed to grow the production line of future NRL talent from the Canterbury-Bankstown district, where the likes of club legends George Peponis, Steve Folkes and Terry Lamb all played their junior football.
