Canterbury are confident of delivering their fans an early Christmas gift by re-signing off-contract skipper Josh Jackson on a long-term deal.
Despite speculation Jackson may be on the lookout for a new club, Bulldogs boss Andrew Hill insisted the parties were now deep in negotiations.
"Clearly Josh is not looking to leave the Bulldogs and the Bulldogs don't see him playing for anyone else," Hill told AAP.
Jackson was unavailable to speak at the club's media day on Monday after successfully undergoing groin and hip surgery last week.
Hill admitted the injury setback, which will force him off the paddock until the team regathers in January, prevented them from agreeing to terms sooner.
"So that delayed things, but we'll regroup shortly and try and bring it to a head in the next couple of weeks," Hill said.
Jackson's contract isn't the only big ticket item on Canterbury's pre-Christmas to-do list, with the club fighting to get salary cap relief for injured star Kieran Foran.
The veteran playmaker went under the knife two weeks ago after dislocating his shoulder while on international duty with New Zealand last month.
Doctors last week confirmed Foran will miss at least six months, which will be presented to the NRL when Hill meets with the governing body this week.
Current rules dictate the Bulldogs can apply for a maximum $350,000 of salary cap relief when a player is injured on international duty and misses 12 games.
Canterbury will also be seeking clarification around insurance, as well as the ramifications of Foran making an early return from injury.
"Now that (the surgeon has) had the follow-up consultation with Kieran, he's been able to confirm with us the damage in writing now," Hill said.
"This week we'll start to work with the relevant stakeholders being the NRL and the insurance company to put all our claims in.
"It's a bit premature to work out exactly what the outcome is at the moment.
"We're looking at least 6-9 months at the moment, so we're looking to the NRL to get a positive outcome around salary cap relief and also the insurance claim."
The Bulldogs have already begun considering potential replacements, but are certain to fail to find a player matching Foran's current value.
The premiership-winning five-eighth is in the final year of a multi-million deal.
"We just need to get through the next week with the NRL to understand what we're entitled to. And then we'll work through that," Hill said.
"We're not in any rush, so we'll continue to monitor who's available and look at opportunities once we get a clear understanding of what we're entitled to."
Australian Associated Press
