Kade Dykes scored six tries across his final four NSW Cup matches in 2026, running at least 132 metres in each game.
Despite that late-season form, Canterbury Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould confirmed on October 5 that Dykes and Jake Turpin would not be with the club in 2027.
Gould replied on social media to a fan asking whether the players had left while discussing Canterbury's top-30 roster.
Both were on one-year deals for 2026 and among seven Bulldogs still off-contract before the Wests Tigers confirmed lock Kurt Mann's 2027 signing.
Gould had confirmed four Canterbury signings on October 3, following a period of rumoured arrivals without confirmed additions.
Dykes joined from Cronulla in August 2025, after injuries limited him to nine NSW Cup games over three years.
Those injuries included an ACL tear in 2023, cartilage surgery in 2024 and a ruptured patellar tendon in April 2025.
He played 17 NSW Cup games in 2026, scoring 10 tries and nine try assists, making 46 tackle breaks and 10 assists, and averaging 97 metres.
Turpin re-signed with Canterbury late last year, declining a two-year offer from Manly.
The former Brisbane and Sydney Roosters dummy-half played three first-grade games in 2025 and seven in 2026.