The Bulldogs have been on the lookout for a replacement after parting ways with talent spotters Noel Cleal and Jim Whitney. The pair were part of a cleanout of some of coach Des Hasler's most trusted staffers, who include mind coach John Novak and sprint coach Clayton Kearney.

But perhaps the biggest shoes to fill are those of Cleal. The man dubbed "Crusher" also worked with Hasler at Manly, where they won two premierships. Cleal, who unearthed a slew of stars including Jamie Lyon, followed Hasler to Belmore, where the pair have overseen Bulldogs sides that have made the finals for five consecutive seasons. Despite coming close on two occasions, the inability to secure a premiership has prompted officials to shake up the front office.

McDonnell will make the shift after almost two decades at the Tigers. During that time he has identified dozens of youngsters that have gone on to become stars and played an integral role in assembling the roster that took out the premiership in 2005. He will have the job of shaping a Canterbury squad with a view to breaking a frustrating title drought that has now stretched to 12 years.

The Bulldogs have been relatively inactive in the player market over the off-season, while they have parted company with stalwarts Tony Williams, Curtis Rona and Tim Browne. Instead, the focus has been on extending big names including Moses Mbye, Josh Jackson, Greg Eastwood and David Klemmer. However, they will soon need to make a call on whether to retain Will Hopoate, Josh Reynolds, Michael Lichaa and Aiden Tolman, who as of last week are free to negotiate with rival clubs for 2017 and beyond.

Some Canterbury officials have been concerned about the club's inability to identify and retain its junior talent. As part of a restructure, it is expected NSW Cup coach Andy Patmore could switch to a pathways/development role.

Hasler is off contract at the end of next year and officials are still negotiating a potential extension. The sticking point so far has been performance clauses, although both parties are hopeful of working through the issues.

Hasler's future was clouded after club legend Steve Mortimer questioned if he was the right fit at Belmore, with the comments ultimately costing Mortimer his position on the Bulldogs board.

McDonnell's departure leaves Wests Tigers with another key position to fill. The joint-venture outfit is also on the lookout for a football manager after Mark O'Neill resigned following misconduct allegations.

In other news, Penrith have granted Jeremy Latimore a release to take up an offer from Cronulla.

"It's too easy sometimes to say that rugby league is a business and we just have to make decisions and move on," Panthers executive general manager Phil Gould said.

"But some decisions really do suck. This one sucks."