THE Bulldogs are set for one of the biggest recruitment swipes in rugby league history with the Belmore club lining up a bid to snatch all four members of the Wests Tigers so-called Big Four, according to a bombshell report.

In a move that would create a new level of hostility between the Tigers and Bulldogs, Canterbury has already made a move to try and entice Aaron Woods, James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks to Belmore for the 2018 season.

Fox Sports NRL reporter James Hooper has told Triple M, the ongoing contract saga surrounding the four off-contract Tigers stars has been shaken up.

“There’s been so much speculation around about these four players and what’s going to happen,” Hooper said on Triple M Saturday NRL.

“Over the course of the last week, the rumblings have gotten louder and louder, that one of the clubs playing today — the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs — might well decide that they’re going to make a play for all four.

“Don’t ask me how the hell they’d fit them all in.

“Aaron Woods is certainly a great NSW and Australian Test front-rower. James Tedesco is arguably the best fullback in the game and then you’ve got the two young halves.”

Triple M NRL analyst and former Panthers star Ryan Girdler said he could not fathom how the Bulldogs would be able to fit the star quartet under the salary cap for next season.

Aaron Woods in blue and white? Source: News Corp Australia

The potential recruitment coup has been described by Hooper as the most significant group-player signing since the Bulldogs lost stars Jim Dymock, Dean Pay, Jarrod McCracken and Jason Smith to the Eels in 1996 after winning the 1995 ARL grand final.

“If it does happen it would be the biggest play of four players going from one club to another since then,” Hooper said.

There has been a stand-off between Woods, Tedesco, Moses and Brooks with the Wests Tigers since the club first put contract offers on the table in November.

Woods, the Tigers’ captain, on Thursday said he won’t be rushed into deciding on his future until the club appoints a long-term NRL coach.

The joint venture is on the lookout for a new mentor after their shock decision to axe Jason Taylor on Monday, leaving caretaker Andrew Webster to guide the team temporarily.

However the club is adamant it won’t be rushed on a search that has so far linked them with former Penrith head Ivan Cleary and current North Queensland assistant Todd Payten.

Woods declared last week he would only settle on a new contract once a new coach is in place at Concord, and the latest developments hadn’t changed his thinking.

“There’s still no certainty with what’s happening. I still stand by my comments. I didn’t say sack JT or anything, which I think has been misinterpreted in the media,” Woods said.

“All I said was JT was off-contract, I just want to know who the coach is going to be. They want me to sign a long-term deal. I’m not going to sign where there’s no certainty of what’s going on.”

Bombshell report. Source: News Corp Australia

The NSW State of Origin representative reiterated he had no say in the demise of Taylor, but was open to lending his opinion on his replacement.

“They can (ask) if they want, but at the end of the day, it’s their decision,” he said.

“It’s out of our hands. All I did last week was ask who the coach is going to be and that’s it.” Woods dodged questions on whether he had spoken to other clubs, instead opting to discuss the team’s current plight ahead of Sunday’s round-four match against Melbourne.

“I haven’t thought about anything. I’ve been pretty disgusted with the way we’ve performed over the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“First of all you need to know who the coach is going to be long-term. I’ll sit down with my wife and sort it out, and my management.”

Teammate Elijah Taylor admitted feeling frustrated by the club’s decision to sack Jason Taylor on the back of what has been a scandalous few months.

Taylor’s dismissal comes just a week after disgraced centre Tim Simona revealed some players had used illicit drugs during post-season celebrations a few years ago.

It is the third club in a row where Taylor has watched the head coach get fired. “They don’t teach you how to deal with this in the under 20s. It’s very educational. You see true colours of a lot of people. You see the media and how they operate,” Taylor said.

“But I’ve seen it three times. It’s very difficult. It definitely disrupts the team, but we just have to move on now and focus this Sunday on the Storm. We’ve got no choice.”

— with AAP