‘No shootout’ between Bulldogs teammates: coach Ciraldo
Jasper Bruce |
Cameron Ciraldo insists he won’t look at Canterbury’s clash with South Sydney as a shootout between Lachlan Galvin and Toby Sexton for the Bulldogs’ coveted halfback spot.
Mid-season signing Galvin has been promoted to the starting line-up for his second Bulldogs game amid the State of Origin-enforced absence of five-eighth Matt Burton.
But when he returns for round 17, coach Ciraldo will need to choose between superstar teen Galvin and Sexton as first-choice halfback to partner five-eighth Burton.
Sexton was shifted to hooker to accommodate former Wests Tigers star Galvin coming on from the bench at halfback during Monday’s defeat of Parramatta.
And for all the speculation that the versatile Galvin could play in the back-line or back row at the Bulldogs, Ciraldo admitted after the match that the teenager’s position of choice was in the halves.
Sexton, meanwhile, has been a steady and reliable presence at halfback for the resurgent Bulldogs on their charge into premiership calculations this season.
But even as a difficult call looms, Ciraldo said his two options would not be pitted against one another this Sunday.
“There’s no shootout, there’s an opportunity to get two points against a really hard-working South Sydney team,” Ciraldo said.
“I feel like we’ve created a really good environment here where we’re developing better people and better players every day.
“The only thing we ask is that they put the team first, and that’s what 17 players will do this week.”
Ciraldo also insisted off-contract Sexton remained content at the Bulldogs, despite the mid-season arrival of Galvin appearing to threaten his future at the club.
“You wouldn’t have found a happier guy than Toby Sexton after that win. There is a lot of bullcrap (speculation) that goes on out there,” Ciraldo said.
“But we just have a laugh about it and get on with it.”
Along with Manly and the Sydney Roosters, the Bulldogs are among three teams without any byes before any of the Origin fixtures.
Kurt Mann, Max King, Stephen Crichton and Burton are all missing against the Rabbitohs, the Bulldogs’ second of three games without their Origin contingent.
Canterbury suffered a 36-point thrashing from a Dolphins side missing only one representative player in the first of their Origin-affected games last month.
But Ciraldo shrugged at the fixturing quirk, pointing out the Bulldogs had it easier in other ways.
Canterbury are spared a trip to Auckland this year, and leave Sydney only twice after the Origin period.
“The scheduling ends up working itself out in the end,” Ciraldo said.
“We’ve had less travel, but we miss guys for those games and that’s all right.
“By the end of the year, you play 24 games, you play all the opposition. To be in the finals series, you’ve got to deal with all these things.”
AAP
