How Ciraldo’s tinkering brought Bulldogs’ season undone
George Clarke |
Cameron Ciraldo might have re-established Canterbury as a force in the NRL but his decision to carry out mid-season surgery to a side that looked like strong premiership contenders has proved his undoing.
The Bulldogs looked like a bona-fide chance to win this year’s premiership when they led the competition after 15 rounds with a 11-2 record that had reignited one of the game’s most passionate fanbases.
But Ciraldo’s mid-season selections backfired.
The Dogs slipped to third on the NRL ladder and after Sunday’s 46-26 semi-final loss to Penrith at Accor Stadium ended their finals campaign, they boast just two wins across their past eight games.
Ciraldo will be left wondering if he made the right decision when halfway through the year he chose to bench hooker Reed Mahoney and axe Toby Sexton – the halfback in charge of the side through the early part of the year – in favour of Lachlan Galvin.
Aggressive, in your face and willing to fight over anything, Mahoney has often been a key factor in the Bulldogs winning the psychological battle – even if he has been liable to push his luck with officials.
Ciraldo’s patience has clearly waned with the ill-disciplined hooker who whacked Moses Leota on Sunday, gave away a penalty for a facial and did not return after the 30-minute mark.
No more decision, however, has been as widely attributed to the Bulldogs’ collapse as Galvin’s mid-season and heavily-publicised move from Wests Tigers.
There is no doubting that without the steady hand of Sexton, Canterbury have lacked the same polished, machine-like rhythm they displayed at the start of the year.
Galvin and Sexton started together in the halves on Sunday for just the third time, with an injury to captain Stephen Crichton forcing the Dogs to deploy first-choice five-eighth Matt Burton in the centres.
Galvin had some nice moments in attack on Sunday as he started and finished the Dogs’ only first-half try to show why Ciraldo has been so keen to give the 20-year-old the keys to his side’s attack.
But it was also clear that his temperament is far from that of an elite playmaker when he hoofed one kick out on the full and rushed his passing when swarmed by former schoolboy teammate Blaize Talagi.
All the while, Sexton was essentially sidelined. Burton took on the lion’s share of kicking down the left edge and Sexton, who will leave for Super League’s Catalans next year, put boot to ball just twice.
With unfamiliar edge defenders it was no surprise to see a team as ruthless as Penrith pull the Bulldogs apart.
Ciraldo will spend the summer wondering how much of that was as a result of his own tinkering.
AAP
