Bulldogs chairman Adam Driussi insists the club “won’t panic” amid criticism of the team’s roster and form as they cling desperately to their 2026 finals dream.
Any suggestion of a divide between general manager Phil Gould and head coach Cameron Ciraldo has been laughed off by the club. Anyone with access to either man knows exactly how complimentary the coach has been of Gould as the Bulldogs battle through a tough period.
“Gus has never been better or more supportive,” Ciraldo told this column.
Gould sees Ciraldo as a 20-year coach at the Dogs, and he is not backing away from that belief. Not many club GMs go on TV or podcasts to face the kind of grilling Gould had this week, and he deserves praise for that approach.
Gould was a guest on James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast and was asked whether Bulldogs youngster Lachlan Galvin was suited to playing halfback.
“People say, ‘Is he a halfback or not?’ Well, I don’t know any 20-year-old who is a first-grade halfback,” Gould told Graham, a former Bulldogs prop and now a club ambassador.
“I don’t think he’s a long-term halfback. I don’t think we ever had the intention of him being a long-term halfback. He’s the best halfback we’ve got this week and for this game and he has been since he walked in the joint.”
When asked about Gould’s comments hours later, Ciraldo said: “[Galvin’s] the best halfback we’ve got right now.”
Gould was being honest about Galvin, and it’s certainly not a scoop nor scandal to say he may end up as a lock or a five-eighth.
“Of course we’re disappointed with where we are at this stage of the season. But I have complete faith in Phil Gould and Cameron Ciraldo. They are the right people to lead this club, full stop,” Driussi said.
“The easiest thing in football is to panic when results don’t go your way. We’re not going to do that – we’re going to come through this together.”
The Bulldogs ignored the noise and showed resolve to snap a five-match losing streak in Friday night’s 30-22 comeback win over the Storm.
Gould, Ciraldo and skipper Stephen Crichton last year had their contracts extended until 2031 – a clear sign of the faith the board has in them as leaders and also an acknowledgement that there is still work to be done.
“It’s easy to forget where this club was,” Driussi said. “What Gus and Cameron have built here is real – the culture, the pathways, the structures. A bad run of results doesn’t unwind three years of genuine progress. I’m very confident in the long-term direction.”
Rookie back-rowers AJ Jones, Jack Underhill and Jed Reardon are evidence that the pathways program – Gould’s speciality area – is starting to bear fruit.
Contrary to reports, Driussi and Gould are adamant the club has had no contact with Titans playmaker AJ Brimson. If he became a free agent, that could change, but there’s no guarantee.
What has really riled them are suggestions that fullback Connor Tracey was dropped this week. Tracey was named for Friday night’s clash with the Storm, but withdrew due to a hamstring injury. He has been struggling for six weeks and there are medical reports to prove it.
Tracey has been dealing with a left-sided high hamstring tendinopathy. The injury has compromised his ability to reproduce repeated high-intensity sprint efforts during training and on match day.
“We’ve consistently had a number of players missing from games in recent weeks,” Gould said. “Connor is one of several who have been battling through and playing with injuries. He’s been very brave. Most teams in the NRL will have similar stories to tell. NRL players certainly earn their money”.
Critta shouldering heavy burden
Crichton’s failure to train early in the Blues campaign is an indication of just how much pain he was playing through due to a grade-five AC joint injury.
But the Bulldogs skipper is also carrying the mental scars from leading the club through a level of scrutiny bordering on the ridiculous.
From everything this columnist can gather, it’s extremely likely Crichton would have struggled to play for the Bulldogs against the Storm on Friday night. This columnist has noticed he’s been carrying an ankle issue in the first few days of Origin camp.
It’s a credit to his toughness and love for his state that he said yes to selection when the Blues came calling after losing strike centre Latrell Mitchell to a back injury.
The Blues would’ve been well aware of Crichton’s struggles with his body as their head trainer, Travis Touma, is also the Bulldogs’ trainer.
What they may not have been aware of was the mental battles Crichton has faced this year as the Dogs went from premiership contenders to a team fighting to make the eight. Crichton has been dogged by worries over his team and he has admitted that has impacted his form to an extent.
“I probably have got a bit lost in thinking about the leadership that I have at the Bulldogs,” he said. “It’s not that I can relax or take a back seat here, but I can lean on the other leaders in the team and concentrate a bit more on what I need to do for the side. It has been tough for our club and that has been my focus.
“That’s why I probably wasn’t that worried about selection even though I knew that people were saying things and questioning things, to be honest, my focus was on getting the Bulldogs right and changing the conversation and that’s probably why I didn’t get a chance to worry about other things. Now that Laurie has shown faith in me, I really want to give my best to the team and my state.”
V’landys’ vow to Jai
An emotional NRL boss Peter V’landys has reached out to South Sydney’s Jai Arrow and is making a public promise that the game will fund and help him source the best treatment possible anywhere in the world.
“The whole rugby league family has wrapped its arms around Jai and his family during this incredibly difficult time,” V’landys said.
“We will stand beside them every step of the way, offering our full support, care and commitment for as long as it is needed. Most importantly, we will do everything within our power to ensure Jai receives the very best medical treatment and specialist care available — no matter where in the world that may be.
“We will certainly provide financial assistance to help make that possible and to ease the burden on his family during this period.”
NSWRL keen to keep control of Blues squad message
A previous NSW Origin team selection drama involving South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell is one of the main reasons the NSWRL is reluctant to turn the squad announcement into a TV program.
The Nine Network approached the NRL seeking to turn this year’s Blues team reveal into a special TV event. And they will try again after the NSWRL’s YouTube livestream of the squad announcement on Monday morning didn’t go as smoothly as planned.
The Blues used to announce the squad live on TV going into the 6pm news. But when Souths played a 4pm game one year, Mitchell only found out he had been left out of the team via the media as he was coming off the field.
Naturally, Mitchell was upset – and it took two years of work behind the scenes to rectify that.
The NSWRL deserves praise for trying the live announcement on its own channel as it services their loyal sponsors and supporters. But it was hampered by an audio issue, and the set-up needed some polish.
About three weeks ago, Nine, the publisher of this masthead, raised the idea of breaking into programming at 8.10pm to do a live announcement. That was rejected, as was the opportunity to do it on the breakfast slot on the Today Show.
But Nine will try again as they are heavily invested in Origin given they hold exclusive rights to the three-game interstate series.
“We have never been formally approached about participating in a show to announce our State of Origin team,” said NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden.
“If we did receive such an approach, we would naturally consider it, subject to all of the associated timing and logistical issues being addressed.”
The Blues get lots of their promotion and media just right, but Nine wants to make its showcase event even more ritzy. The Queensland Rugby League is open to the idea but, like the NSWRL, they put a lot of effort into their own announcement.
“We currently throw a fair bit at the naming of our Origin teams – marketing, social media and events – but if the NRL wanted to craft a new approach, I’m sure we’d find a way to make it work for Queenslanders,” QRL boss Ben Ikin said.
We asked the Blues for comment, but they didn’t return calls.
In Todd they trust?
The Cowboys continue to sign players and make key roster decisions without having re-signed their head coach, Todd Payten. The fact that they have had months to contract him and still haven’t has those who know Payten well concerned.
And it appears Sharks pair Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa are on their way to North Queensland. Both have had some great days at the Sharks and when they are on, they are brilliant.
The Cows have some quality there and should make a call on Payten in the next week or two.
KP on the catwalk
Knights and Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga is as good on the catwalk as he is on the football field.
He has played a big role in the launch of a groundbreaking merchandise collaboration with Australian lifestyle brand SSAINT, the Knights’ latest step into the fashion and lifestyle space.
It’s a move that the smart clubs will follow. It’s the brainchild of their commercial head, Jodie Cross. And it follows the recently announced partnership with online fashion store The ICONIC.
It’s a dramatic rebrand for the Knights, who have long been seen as the archetypal working-class team.
Skipper’s abuse goes under radar
If it was rugby league, the whole game would be talking about what happened to Sydney FC skipper Rhyan Grant last week in Newcastle during the A-League semi-final.
Grant had to endure a fan taking a swing at him before being spat on after the game at McDonald Jones Stadium. It happened in front of Sydney FC officials and police took the man away. Grant and the club confirmed the incident occurred, but declined to elaborate.
Stadium management is working with NSW Police to identify those responsible. Any offenders will be banned from the venue for up to two years and may face further action and/or fines from the police.
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