Bulldogs say Galvin off bench could be best way forward

Scott Bailey | June 27, 2025

Cameron Ciraldo has suggested Lachlan Galvin could play out the year as a bench utility, believing there is no reason to change Canterbury’s current bench rotation.

Galvin came off the interchange again in the Bulldogs’ 8-6 loss to Penrith on Thursday, playing 28 minutes at halfback with Toby Sexton replacing Reed Mahoney at hooker.

That ploy was a similar tactic to that employed by the Bulldogs in Galvin’s debut for the club three weeks ago, after his mid-season switch from Wests Tigers.

Galvin and Sexton could start together in the halves against Brisbane next week, if five-eighth Matt Burton is on NSW State of Origin duty.

But long-term, questions remain over how the Bulldogs will play out the rest of this season.

Sexton is off-contract, but changing the starting half for a team which has been first since late March would be a bold call.

So too would continuing to swap the halves around mid-match.

“I thought it worked pretty well tonight,” the Bulldogs coach said after the loss to Penrith when asked about long-term plans for the spine.

“I like how it is working at the moment. Reed rips in, gets his work done, works himself to a standstill. 

“Toby going in there and shoring up the ruck and providing good service. And then Lachy comes on and can ask really good questions, which he did. 

“I’m very happy with how it’s going at the moment, don’t see any reason to change it.”

Already likely to be without Burton, Kurt Mann, Stephen Crichton and Max King on Origin duties, the Bulldogs are set to push to play prop Daniel Suluka-Fifita next week.

Suluka-Fifita suffered a head knock in the first tackle of Thursday’s game, and was ruled out due to showing category-one symptoms.

But he still passed his head injury assessment, leaving Canterbury to hope they can apply for an exemption for Suluka-Fifita to avoid an 11-day stand down.

“He did have a protective mechanism when he came down to protect himself from falling straight down. But then he slipped on the way up,” Ciraldo said. 

“It’s just one of those things that happen. Came off and passed the test, but had already been ruled out with a category one. That was disappointing.

“We do the right thing by the players. But he passed the test and was adamant he was right to go back on. 

“So we will definitely be looking into that this week.”

Ciraldo also defended the decision not to go for goal while down 8-6, when given a penalty on the sideline from 30 metres out with three minutes to play.

If Canterbury had taken it and Crichton or Burton kicked the goal, it would have levelled scores at 8-8. Instead, they spilt the ball on the next set.

“It was so far out. It’s a big shot there, both left-foot kickers, so wrong side,” Ciraldo said.