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Revealed: Seven-club race for Dogs star as talks break down over ‘naive’ Gus offer Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould has come under fire after gun back rower Jacob Preston rejected the club’s latest contract offer. The Bulldogs have been accused of lowballing Preston, who knocked back the Dogs’ reported offer of $1.9 million over three years. Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Preston is under contract until the end of next season, meaning he’ll be free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1 if he and the Bulldogs can’t strike up a new deal before then. However, Code Sports journalist Michael Carayannis says Preston and the Bulldogs are “poles apart” in negotiations. “It’s way too low. He could get $850,000 on the open market. You’re talking about Liam Martin asking for $1 million,” Carayannis said on NRL360. “Preston is an elite player. He’ll probably be in Kevvie’s Kangaroos squad for the World Cup. This is almost a prototype of Liam Martin, just a bit younger. “The Bulldogs fans aren’t happy about this,” former Bulldogs star Braith Anasta added. “They’re up in arms that he could be leaving and because of the money offered I assume.” Anasta then revealed that up to seven clubs are said to be interested in Preston, including the Roosters, PNG, Perth Bears and the Gold Coast Titans MORE NRL NEWS TALKING PTS: Theory on why Madge finally snapped; shock call on Panthers ‘WON’T STAND IN HIS WAY’: Huge reveal in QLD coaching race amid shock call RUN HOME: Unthinkable 0.5% Broncos reality; how Wahs could get huge advantage “They (Bulldogs) have to change their tune then as he’s an integral part of that side. Their $200,000 off from a competitive offer,” Carayannis responded. “I don’t think the damage has been done. I think he wants to stay there and is happy there so if the Dogs came to the party.” It’s unclear whether the Bulldogs will be able to offer Preston much more than the original $633,000 per season deal tabled. The Bulldogs are already paying the club’s other starting back rower Viliame Kikau around $800,000 a year until the end of 2028. According to Read, Preston deserves much more than the Bulldogs’ recent offer, believing Gould has “seriously misread” the market. Read went onto blast some of Gould’s recent roster decisions, including the call to give fullback Connor Tracey a two-year extension. “I don’t understand how you can make that offer and expect him (Preston) to accept it,” Read said. ”To offer him $650,000 and expect him to take it and not expect him to be put off by it, is really naive. “I just think he’s got things out of whack. “I was thinking about their fullback situation. They spoke to Jahream Bula, they spoke to Tolu Koula and spoke to Ryan Papenhuyzen and they signed a young kid David Bryenton so they obviously realised that Connor Tracey wasn’t their long-term fullback. “They go and give Tracey a two-year extension worth half a million dollars a season. A guy you know isn’t your long-term fullback. How does that make sense? You could have used that money to help keep Jacob Preston. “I don’t want to second guess Gus, he’s a genius, but he’s completely cocked it up. He’s a smart dude but he’s cocked it up. How do you get things so wrong? “I’m not questioning the Galvin signing but they’ve got the halves wrong, they’ve got the hooker situation wrong, they’re now stuffing up the Jacob Preston situation. “How many bad decisions can he make?”