The Bulldogs have announced the release of winger Nick Cotric, just 12 months into a three-year deal with the club, with the 23-year-old confirming a return to the Canberra Raiders.
“I’d like to thank Nick on behalf of the club, for the great effort and level of professionalism he has shown while here at the Bulldogs,” said chief executive Aaron Warburton.
“He has been a fantastic ambassador for the club, on and off the field, and we greatly appreciate the way that he has carried himself through this process.”
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Cotric has signed a three-year deal with Canberra, the club where he made his NRL debut in 2017, playing 93 matches for the Raiders.
“We’re looking forward to having Nick re-join the club for the next three seasons,” said Radiers CEO Don Furner.
“Nick is a local boy who made his way through the local rugby league pathway program to the NRL, NSW and Australia while playing for us and we know the skills and capability he has as a player.”
“Nick has indicated to us that he’s really excited about returning to Canberra and the Raiders, and we’re confident he can play his best football for us.”
“The Raiders are a proud development club who invest heavily in our pathway program and to have a top-level player like Nick Cotric who has been through our system return to the club is a show of faith in this.”
Cotric will resume training with Canberra as early as next week.
His move is the final piece in a complex jigsaw puzzle that saw the Eels pickup both Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson from the Raiders.
Simonsson will join Parramatta immediately, while Hodgson will switch clubs at the end of the 2022 season.
Cotric’s release gives the Bulldogs some breathing room under the salary cap, having signed a host of new players in recent weeks.
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