The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are thrilled to announce a monumental step forward in our Club's history with the signing of Tayla Preston as our inaugural NRLW player for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Tayla Preston, a dynamic and skilled halfback, returns to familiar territory in the Blue and White, having previously excelled with the Bulldogs Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership squad in 2023. Her outstanding performances during the season earned her the Coaches Award honours and helped lead the squad to a Grand Final appearance in their first year of re-entry to the competition.
Hailing from the local area and bred in a family of passionate Canterbury supporters, Tayla’s rugby league journey blossomed after a move to Cronulla in 2016, where she honed her talents playing alongside the likes of Allana Ferguson and Ruan Sims. She was part of the first-ever women’s under-18 side for the Shire and then their inaugural Tarsha Gale Cup squad where it took just 29 seconds for the then-young half to secure her first piece of history in claiming the competition’s first-ever try.
Her NRLW career commenced with the Parramatta Eels in 2022 where she played a pivotal role in the team's journey to the NRLW Grand Final, before going on to contribute significantly to the Sharks over the 2023 season as their starting halfback.
“With 15 NRLW games under her belt, Preston brings invaluable experience, leadership, and a winning mentality to the Bulldogs as we prepare for our inaugural NRLW campaign in 2025,” said Bulldogs NRLW Head Coach Blake Cavallaro.
The announcement of the Club’s first-ever NRLW player follows the Bulldogs' successful bid to the competition expansion in 2025 as confirmed earlier this year by the NRL and ARLC.
“The Bulldogs have made significant strides in nurturing female talent through our Academy programs, laying the foundation for our entry into the NRLW competition,” added General Manager of Pathways Adam Hartigan.
Tayla’s influence in bringing her NRLW and experience as a key playmaker in the game will be instrumental in helping shape the future success of our Club. We look forward to cheering on her successes over the upcoming season and we can’t wait to welcome her back to Belmore in due time.
Out of respect to Preston and her current seasonal commitments with the Cronulla Sharks, the Bulldogs will not be making any further comment at this time and before Preston joins the Club for the 2025 NRLW pre-season.
Preston’s signing marks a historic moment for the Bulldogs and the NRLW, heralding the dawn of a new legacy as we eagerly anticipate her contributions to our proud Club.
