Cameron Ciraldo has rubbished speculation linking Jacob Preston with a move away from Canterbury, after the Bulldogs forward was publicly courted by the Perth Bears.
Mal Meninga, the Bears' head coach when they enter the competition next year, was fined $20,000 by the NRL last week for declaring his desire to sign Preston and Canterbury teammate Matt Burton.
Coaches are prohibited from discussing rival players under anti-tampering rules brought in last year, ironically because of public commentary from Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould in the lead-up to Lachlan Galvin's move to Belmore from Wests Tigers.
There have also been reports back-rower Preston - touted as a future NSW Origin star - will hit the open market in November when he enters the final 12 months of his deal.
But Ciraldo said on Friday that Preston has made it clear where his future lies.
"He loves being a Bulldog and being in our environment and he's clear he wants to be a Bulldog a lot longer," Ciraldo said.
"I don't want to talk about Mal because that's just footy and it's a bit of a grey area.
"I was with Presto when the last story came out about him possibly leaving and he was as shocked as I was.
"He made it very clear that he didn't know how it got in the paper and it didn't come from him.
"He reiterated to me that he loves being at the Bulldogs, he loves this club and doesn't want to go anywhere."
Preston - currently sidelined with a broken arm - is 50/50 for next week's meeting with the Gold Coast, Ciraldo said ahead of Saturday's clash with Manly at Accor Stadium.
Jacob Kiraz has barely trained over the past fortnight as he nurses a torn calf, but will start on a wing against Manly.
"I don't know what the secret is with him, maybe it's the Lebanese food he gets at home," Ciraldo said.
"His mental toughness can't be underestimated. He's played with injuries most people wouldn't get on the field with."
Connor Tracey replaces Kiraz at fullback, with captain Stephen Crichton named at centre.
Crichton missed game two of the Origin series after tearing cartilage in his shoulder.
"His body definitely needed a rest (over the bye), and whether he could've played on Wednesday night, I'm not sure," Ciraldo said.
"I don't want to gloss over him playing with injury, that's a sign of leadership that he's put his hand up for the team when they've needed him."
After reaching the top four last year, the 12th-placed Dogs (5-8) have endured a topsy-turvy season as they struggled to adapt to a quicker ruck.
But Ciraldo wants his side to look at how Manly have turned their season around under Kieran Foran as proof they can undergo their own revival.
Manly were 0-3 before Anthony Seibold's sacking and have won eight of their 10 games under Foran.
"If we're looking for an example of a team that's been able to turn around their fortunes, they're the best example," Ciraldo said.
"The way they've been playing, the way they move the ball, they'll be a great challenge.
"We've had three decent performances and six weeks of really good training."
