Canterbury opens talks to extend Toby Sexton after pulling out of Daly Cherry-Evans race
Canterbury has opened talks with Toby Sexton regarding a potential contract extension, less than a week after the club pulled out of the race to sign Daly Cherry-Evans.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the 24-year-old's management and Bulldogs officials have begun negotiations for a deal beyond this season.
Sexton has played all four games this year at halfback and has stepped up in the absence of Matt Burton over the past fortnight, leading the side to victories over Parramatta and Cronulla.
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Toby Sexton in action for the Bulldogs. Getty
And now, after Phil Gould confirmed last week that the Bulldogs wouldn't be making a play for Cherry-Evans in 2026, it looks as though Sexton could be sticking around.
"To be honest, and it's pretty cliched, I didn't look at it at all," Sexton told the Herald.
"If the club wants to go after him, they can go after him. I didn't look at it once, I never thought of it at all. I just focused on myself and what I can do for the team.
"I feel like we're building a really good connection to this team and I love playing with them each week and that was no different [against Cronulla]."
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Sexton joined the Belmore-based outfit midway through the 2023 season and became the club's first-choice No.7 last year, forming a strong partnership with Burton.
While the likes of Mitch Woods and Joseph O'Neill are both seen as long-term prospects, Sexton's growth over the past 12 months has led to discussions for a new deal.
Mitch Woods in action. NSWRL
Woods is considered a teen prodigy and has plenty of Canterbury fans excited, but the 18-year-old hasn't played this year as he rehabs a hamstring injury and isn't expected to debut in the NRL any time soon.
"He's a great kid and he has a lot of very similar attributes to me when I first came through into grade," Sexton told Wide World of Sports earlier this year.
"I had similar hype around myself coming through. You've got to be able to slow down and enjoy what you're doing, straight out of school and into a first grade program.
"Not many kids get to do that - he's got a great head on his shoulders and he's gonna be a good player ... the club is very lucky to have him."
