Mick Potter keen to remain with Bulldogs following Cameron Ciraldo appointment

Mick Potter has expressed his desire to stay with the Bulldogs next season, despite the club naming Cameron Ciraldo as long-term head coach earlier this week.

The 37-year-old will take on a five-year deal from 2023, with the club hoping to finally embark on an upward trend after a few meager campaigns with Ciraldo at the helm and some big-name signings on the field.

Potter took over on an interim basis following Trent Barrett’s departure earlier this year, but has always been viewed as unlikely to take on the permanent role.

But despite a new boss coming to Belmore next season, the veteran Potter is hoping to stick around and help bring Canterbury back to the promised land.

“I like to help and I want the club to do better and move up the ladder and improve,” he said.

“I think Cameron is a great appointment for the club.

“I’ve played here and had interactions here over the years. I just want them to do well, it’s a club that has a proud history and is used to success.

“I want them to be successful and I want to help help them — whatever that is. I’m really passionate about the club.

“I would imagine that we will meet sometime in the next week. Nothing was arranged but we had words.”

Potter played 80 games for the Dogs in the 1980s, winning two Premierships and the Dally M Medal during his tenure at Belmore.

The 58-year-old believes Ciraldo is the right man for the job and hopes he brings some of the successful Penrith mentality with him.

“He’s an aspiring trainer, he’s been an assistant for a long time, but he’s also been a janitor for a while,” Potter said.

“He’s had that experience – until you actually put yourself in those shoes that he’s got, you don’t know what it’s like.

“He knows what it’s like and he’s very defense oriented and Penrith is very good at that. We need to improve and I think he can make this club better.

“He still has a lot of time ahead of him at his age – he will do the club good.”

Ciraldo’s first task will be to re-sign Matt Burton on a new contract, with the club hoping to keep the NSW Origin star long-term.

Reports this week have revealed that Burton is being offered a four-year, $3.5million deal to remain at Canterbury and Potter backed the club’s push to keep him.

“He’s an important part of the club moving forward and I’m confident the club will want to keep him,” he said.

“In due course they will try to do their best. I think he will make the team better.

“I’ve never seen anyone kick the ball the way they kicked the ball. He has developed a lot physically, he can get better.

“He’s quite a perceptive footy player – his ability to see what’s in front of him and play the right game is really good.

“He gets a good combination there with The Fox on the left [Josh Addo-Carr].”