Beveridge finds new tricks to preserve old Dog
Liberatore, 33, made his name as a hard-as-nails midfielder and has spent stints across half-forward as the Bulldogs' engine room evolves.
A third role is also in play for Liberatore - a 2016 premiership on-baller - who featured in defence during the Dogs' last-start defeat to Hawthorn.
Ahead of a clash with St Kilda on Thursday night, Beveridge indicated he will consider deploying Liberatore in the back half more often in a bid to preserve the 246-game stalwart.
"You've all collectively, like us, garnered a huge amount of respect for Tom with his tenacity and the way he plays the game," Beveridge said.
"When you think of the coalface and how hard it is - sometimes I refer to it as 'the octagon' - you can't expect a player like Tom, who plays the way he does, to do it for as long as he does all the time.
"So we're looking to lighten his load a little bit and looking for another layer for Tom.
"We're hoping that his (playing) future goes beyond this year."
Beveridge said Liberatore was receptive to the idea of playing in defence, and the coach felt it would add flexibility to the Bulldogs' line-up.
It comes with former defender Ed Richards, recruit Matt Kennedy and emerging star Joel Freijah reshaping the midfield unit under the guidance of Liberatore and skipper Marcus Bontempelli.
"You know there's going to be integrity in Tom's defensive game and it all sort of makes sense without diminishing his importance as an inside mid," Beveridge said.
"His priority one is still as a contest and stoppage player, but we might explore that more here and there.
"My reassurance to him was that it's just a layer and maybe a Plan C - because the Plan B' is really for him to play a little bit of forward time as well."
The Bulldogs (6-6) will start warm favourites against St Kilda (5-7), despite Ross Lyon's side enjoying a surprise last-start victory over Melbourne before their mid-season bye.
Key forward Sam Darcy has been cleared to return from a knee injury to add further firepower to the Dogs' attack.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Why Lachlan Galvin doubts won't faze Bulldogs coach
Cameron Ciraldo says the people doubting his plans for Lachlan Galvin are likely the same who questioned Canterbury's rebuild and their previous recruitments. Now, the Bulldogs are flying high in second place on the NRL ladder. Prized mid-season signing Galvin has been named on the bench to face Brisbane on Friday, the third time he'll come on from the interchange in four appearances since joining from Wests Tigers. In the previous two, Galvin was substituted in after half-time to play limited minutes next to Matt Burton in the halves, pushing journeyman halfback Toby Sexton to hooker. Ciraldo has previously suggested he has "plan A, plan B and plan C" for using Galvin, whose large frame and speed make him an option for multiple positions. But pundits have questioned whether the Bulldogs are still deliberating how best to incorporate generational talent Galvin into their premiership tilt. Ciraldo says he doesn't care, intimating that history has shown the doubters will be proven wrong. Canterbury and Ciraldo memorably raised eyebrows recruiting a handful of utility players ahead of the 2024 season, rather than prioritising beefing up their lightweight middle forward rotation. But the additions of Kurt Mann, Connor Tracey, Josh Curran and Jaeman Salmon all proved shrewd as the Bulldogs booked their first finals appearance since 2016. "It's probably the same voices who are doubting what we did now who doubted our recruitment strategy, doubted our forward pack and doubted a lot of other things we did along the way," Ciraldo said. "At the end of the day, how we play towards the back-end of the season, everyone will have an opinion on that. "But we're really comfortable with what we're doing now and how our team is evolving." Ciraldo insisted the Bulldogs were unified as to their plans to use both Galvin and off-contract Sexton, who has quietly pieced together the best season of his NRL career. "We all on the same page and I've got a number of good people around me whose opinions I trust inside our four walls, and we'll continue to do that," Ciraldo said. The Bulldogs and Broncos will collectively be without eight State of Origin representatives on Friday night when Canterbury fight to redeem themselves for the sides' last clash. Brisbane rode a 34-0 half-time lead to a 42-18 drubbing of the Bulldogs, the first of three losses this year for Ciraldo's men. The round-eight defeat has been revisited in the lead-up to the match at Accor Stadium. "We definitely can't start the way we did and we can't play as individuals," Ciraldo said. "It's not too many times this year that we've gone out and played like individuals but in the first half of that game we certainly did. I really don't want to see that again." Cameron Ciraldo says the people doubting his plans for Lachlan Galvin are likely the same who questioned Canterbury's rebuild and their previous recruitments. Now, the Bulldogs are flying high in second place on the NRL ladder. Prized mid-season signing Galvin has been named on the bench to face Brisbane on Friday, the third time he'll come on from the interchange in four appearances since joining from Wests Tigers. In the previous two, Galvin was substituted in after half-time to play limited minutes next to Matt Burton in the halves, pushing journeyman halfback Toby Sexton to hooker. Ciraldo has previously suggested he has "plan A, plan B and plan C" for using Galvin, whose large frame and speed make him an option for multiple positions. But pundits have questioned whether the Bulldogs are still deliberating how best to incorporate generational talent Galvin into their premiership tilt. Ciraldo says he doesn't care, intimating that history has shown the doubters will be proven wrong. Canterbury and Ciraldo memorably raised eyebrows recruiting a handful of utility players ahead of the 2024 season, rather than prioritising beefing up their lightweight middle forward rotation. But the additions of Kurt Mann, Connor Tracey, Josh Curran and Jaeman Salmon all proved shrewd as the Bulldogs booked their first finals appearance since 2016. "It's probably the same voices who are doubting what we did now who doubted our recruitment strategy, doubted our forward pack and doubted a lot of other things we did along the way," Ciraldo said. "At the end of the day, how we play towards the back-end of the season, everyone will have an opinion on that. "But we're really comfortable with what we're doing now and how our team is evolving." Ciraldo insisted the Bulldogs were unified as to their plans to use both Galvin and off-contract Sexton, who has quietly pieced together the best season of his NRL career. "We all on the same page and I've got a number of good people around me whose opinions I trust inside our four walls, and we'll continue to do that," Ciraldo said. The Bulldogs and Broncos will collectively be without eight State of Origin representatives on Friday night when Canterbury fight to redeem themselves for the sides' last clash. Brisbane rode a 34-0 half-time lead to a 42-18 drubbing of the Bulldogs, the first of three losses this year for Ciraldo's men. The round-eight defeat has been revisited in the lead-up to the match at Accor Stadium. "We definitely can't start the way we did and we can't play as individuals," Ciraldo said. "It's not too many times this year that we've gone out and played like individuals but in the first half of that game we certainly did. I really don't want to see that again." Cameron Ciraldo says the people doubting his plans for Lachlan Galvin are likely the same who questioned Canterbury's rebuild and their previous recruitments. Now, the Bulldogs are flying high in second place on the NRL ladder. Prized mid-season signing Galvin has been named on the bench to face Brisbane on Friday, the third time he'll come on from the interchange in four appearances since joining from Wests Tigers. In the previous two, Galvin was substituted in after half-time to play limited minutes next to Matt Burton in the halves, pushing journeyman halfback Toby Sexton to hooker. Ciraldo has previously suggested he has "plan A, plan B and plan C" for using Galvin, whose large frame and speed make him an option for multiple positions. But pundits have questioned whether the Bulldogs are still deliberating how best to incorporate generational talent Galvin into their premiership tilt. Ciraldo says he doesn't care, intimating that history has shown the doubters will be proven wrong. Canterbury and Ciraldo memorably raised eyebrows recruiting a handful of utility players ahead of the 2024 season, rather than prioritising beefing up their lightweight middle forward rotation. But the additions of Kurt Mann, Connor Tracey, Josh Curran and Jaeman Salmon all proved shrewd as the Bulldogs booked their first finals appearance since 2016. "It's probably the same voices who are doubting what we did now who doubted our recruitment strategy, doubted our forward pack and doubted a lot of other things we did along the way," Ciraldo said. "At the end of the day, how we play towards the back-end of the season, everyone will have an opinion on that. "But we're really comfortable with what we're doing now and how our team is evolving." Ciraldo insisted the Bulldogs were unified as to their plans to use both Galvin and off-contract Sexton, who has quietly pieced together the best season of his NRL career. "We all on the same page and I've got a number of good people around me whose opinions I trust inside our four walls, and we'll continue to do that," Ciraldo said. The Bulldogs and Broncos will collectively be without eight State of Origin representatives on Friday night when Canterbury fight to redeem themselves for the sides' last clash. Brisbane rode a 34-0 half-time lead to a 42-18 drubbing of the Bulldogs, the first of three losses this year for Ciraldo's men. The round-eight defeat has been revisited in the lead-up to the match at Accor Stadium. "We definitely can't start the way we did and we can't play as individuals," Ciraldo said. "It's not too many times this year that we've gone out and played like individuals but in the first half of that game we certainly did. I really don't want to see that again."
The Age
9 hours ago
- The Age
‘The big fella had a few tears': Injuries inspire unsung Broncos' debutant
In a side decimated by players withdrawn for State of Origin duties, the Broncos are set to usher in an unheralded debutant for a crucial clash with the Bulldogs. Ben Talty arrived from the North Sydney Bears midseason on a train-and-trial deal through to the end of 2026, having amassed 85 games in the New South Wales Cup. Named at 19th man for Friday night, he will replace Corey Jensen, out with a calf injury. Talty's call-up continues coach Michael Maguire's habit of forging careers. 'We've got some good stories. Ben Talty came in here about a month ago, he's put his head down and is going to be on the bench,' Maguire said. 'He reminded me about how special rugby league is. Loading 'I was able to sit with him yesterday and talk about how he was going to debut. The big fella had a few tears and gave me a big squeeze, and it actually gave me a real sense of what it really means to play. 'He's been trying, he's 26 now, so it just goes to show how special it is what our game brings. He's a great fella, he's a middle forward and done a bit of time down at the Storm.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘The big fella had a few tears': Injuries inspire unsung Broncos' debutant
In a side decimated by players withdrawn for State of Origin duties, the Broncos are set to usher in an unheralded debutant for a crucial clash with the Bulldogs. Ben Talty arrived from the North Sydney Bears midseason on a train-and-trial deal through to the end of 2026, having amassed 85 games in the New South Wales Cup. Named at 19th man for Friday night, he will replace Corey Jensen, out with a calf injury. Talty's call-up continues coach Michael Maguire's habit of forging careers. 'We've got some good stories. Ben Talty came in here about a month ago, he's put his head down and is going to be on the bench,' Maguire said. 'He reminded me about how special rugby league is. Loading 'I was able to sit with him yesterday and talk about how he was going to debut. The big fella had a few tears and gave me a big squeeze, and it actually gave me a real sense of what it really means to play. 'He's been trying, he's 26 now, so it just goes to show how special it is what our game brings. He's a great fella, he's a middle forward and done a bit of time down at the Storm.
