Canterbury interim coach Mick Potter has endorsed the Bulldogs' appointment of Cameron Ciraldo and has put his hand up to serve as an assistant when the new head coach arrives.
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After weeks of build-up, the Bulldogs announced on Sunday that highly rated Penrith assistant Ciraldo would join the club on a five-year contract from 2023, ending Potter's hopes of becoming head coach full-time.
Initially hesitant to address his future publicly, Potter is now keen to stay involved with the Bulldogs in a football capacity and said he could see himself working well with Ciraldo.
Potter is keen on an assistant coaching role but remains flexible.
"Whatever role, I'm happy to help out," he told reporters.
"I want the club to do better and climb up the ladder and improve.
"I've really got a passion for the club and I would love to see them do well."
Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould is likely to leave assistant coaching appointments up to Ciraldo, who will meet with Potter in the next week.
The pair of coaches have had little to do with each other thus far but Potter has a lot of time for his successor.
"Cameron is a great appointment," he said.
"He's an up-and-coming coach, he's been an assistant for a long time but he's also been a caretaker for a little while (at Penrith) so he's had that experience. He knows what it's like.
"He's very defence orientated. Penrith are very good at that and we need to improve. I think he can make this club better. He's got a lot of time ahead of him, he's only 37."
Potter is held in high regard by the Bulldogs playing group, who have improved significantly under his watch and could serve as a sounding board for Ciraldo in his first full-time head coaching role.
But Potter said Ciraldo would have no shortage of guidance as long as Gould was at the club.
"I'm sure 'Gus' will still be mentoring Cameron and he'll blossom with that sort of mentoring around him," he said.
For now, Potter is focused on helping the Bulldogs recover from last week's disappointing loss to the Warriors and finish their season on a high.
Finals are off the table but out-of-form Manly and the inconsistent Parramatta, whom the Bulldogs defeated earlier in the year, offer the Bulldogs at least two chances of victory.
"I want to win every game. That's my job," Potter said.
Australian Associated Press
