Latest news with #LachlanGalvin
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘A bit of insurance': Bulldogs yet to decide on long-term role for Lachlan Galvin
Cameron Ciraldo has praised new recruit Lachlan Galvin for his willingness to come off the bench, with the Bulldogs coach revealing he's got several plans he can use to unleash the teenage sensation into Thursday's grudge match against the resurgent Panthers. Galvin came off the bench in his club debut and scored a try against the Eels, while he started at five-eighth two weeks ago against Souths when Matt Burton was away on State of Origin duty. It's a good headache to have for Ciraldo, who is trying to work out the best way to fit in Galvin, Toby Sexton, Reed Mahoney and Bailey Hayward while not undoing all the good work that has shot them to the top of the table. 'I've probably got plan A, plan B and plan C again,' Ciraldo replied when asked how he'd use Galvin this week. 'He's there as a bit of insurance for our backs, and if an opportunity arises somewhere else, he's been training in a number of positions. 'He's been training really well since he got here, and every opportunity he's taken. 'I can't say too much, but it's good that we've got guys fighting for positions and guys who can play a number of positions and do what's best for the team. 'It's about making the right decision at the right time.' How the Bulldogs look later this season could define the premiership race, but Ciraldo is taking it one week at a time, with Galvin's arrival bringing out the best in his teammates as they fight for spots. Ciraldo noticed something similar when Sitili Tupouniua joined the club this season, with Jacob Preston taking his game to new heights to keep his starting spot. The flip side is that Galvin has to remain patient, with Ciraldo impressed with the 19-year-old's demeanour since leaving the Wests Tigers. 'He's been brilliant,' he said. 'He just says 'whatever you need, I'm ready to go'. That's the type of people we want here.' The Bulldogs are fresh off the bye and face the toughest test of their premiership credentials against the team that has won four grand finals in a row. Ciraldo and a few of his players know the Penrith system very well, with Blues coach Laurie Daley just hoping all of his Origin players get through unscathed. 'It gives us a really good benchmark,' Ciraldo said. 'Whatever happens tomorrow night, it gives us a line in the sand to see where we're at. 'We've only played them twice over the last two years and I feel like we've learnt something every time we've played them.' Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo also described the Bulldogs as the 'benchmark' right now, with the premiers finally on a roll after a crucial win in New Zealand without their rep stars. Thursday's clash will be a fight between a proven Penrith system that has inspired similar traits at Canterbury, with the showdown to feel like Avengers Endgame when Captain America fought Captain America in a battle of identical styles. 'They're the benchmark of the whole competition and rightly so,' Yeo said, revealing he bumped into former teammate and now Bulldogs back-rower Viliame Kikau at a swimming lesson for their children. 'Their line speed, their ability to stay in the fight and be fitter than teams, and then get results off the back of that by running away with things because the other team is wilting under their pressure (has impressed me the most). 'They play that field position and possession style of game, and they've got the guys who can do it. They're really fit.'
The Advertiser
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lightning jolts Souths to life but Bulldogs hang on
Lightning has proved Canterbury's biggest enemy in a 24-18 defeat of South Sydney, who only jolted into action after inclement weather brought the game to a halt. Toby Sexton staked his claim to hold Lachlan Galvin from the Bulldogs' halfback spot as he inspired a 18-0 lead without Matt Burton on Sunday at Accor Stadium. Top-four side Canterbury looked ready to stroll to a big win, until the game came to a standstill just after 4.40pm (AEST) with lightning crashing nearby. It marked the first time since an Anzac Day hailstorm in 2015 that an NRL game was suspended by inclement weather. Gameday staff and media professionals ducked for cover in the tunnel as security ordered fans in the lower seating to seek shelter. Play resumed 28 minutes after the halt in play, following consultation between referee Adam Gee and venue staff. The stoppage proved a fresh start for the Rabbitohs, whose veteran winger Alex Johnston grabbed his 202nd career try from the side's first red-zone entry just before halftime. Souths continued to hammer the left edge and came within eight points as Jack Wighton dived over while Canterbury's Jake Turpin was in the sin bin for a high shot on Tyrone Munro. The Rabbitohs were daring to dream when a kick from Isaiah Tass off a scrum helped Tyrone Munro over on the right side and made it a one-score game. But with Souths' last roll of the dice, halfback Jamie Humphreys spilt the ball in a big shot from the returning Jacob Preston and the Bulldogs held on. Earlier, Sexton showed he would not be giving up his No.7 jersey without a fight as superstar recruit Galvin started his first game for Canterbury. Sexton's most impressive act was a silky one-two with Jacob Kiraz for the first try, fooling Jamie Humphreys by feigning a kick and slicing open Souths' left side. He swung left to help Marcelo Montoya score the first of his two tries and came close to putting Viliame Kikau in twice late on in the first half. Souths back-up playmaker Jayden Sullivan limped off with an apparent injury late in the second half. His absence for next week's clash against Melbourne would test the side's depth even further with Cody Walker still expected to be missing through a groin issue. Lightning has proved Canterbury's biggest enemy in a 24-18 defeat of South Sydney, who only jolted into action after inclement weather brought the game to a halt. Toby Sexton staked his claim to hold Lachlan Galvin from the Bulldogs' halfback spot as he inspired a 18-0 lead without Matt Burton on Sunday at Accor Stadium. Top-four side Canterbury looked ready to stroll to a big win, until the game came to a standstill just after 4.40pm (AEST) with lightning crashing nearby. It marked the first time since an Anzac Day hailstorm in 2015 that an NRL game was suspended by inclement weather. Gameday staff and media professionals ducked for cover in the tunnel as security ordered fans in the lower seating to seek shelter. Play resumed 28 minutes after the halt in play, following consultation between referee Adam Gee and venue staff. The stoppage proved a fresh start for the Rabbitohs, whose veteran winger Alex Johnston grabbed his 202nd career try from the side's first red-zone entry just before halftime. Souths continued to hammer the left edge and came within eight points as Jack Wighton dived over while Canterbury's Jake Turpin was in the sin bin for a high shot on Tyrone Munro. The Rabbitohs were daring to dream when a kick from Isaiah Tass off a scrum helped Tyrone Munro over on the right side and made it a one-score game. But with Souths' last roll of the dice, halfback Jamie Humphreys spilt the ball in a big shot from the returning Jacob Preston and the Bulldogs held on. Earlier, Sexton showed he would not be giving up his No.7 jersey without a fight as superstar recruit Galvin started his first game for Canterbury. Sexton's most impressive act was a silky one-two with Jacob Kiraz for the first try, fooling Jamie Humphreys by feigning a kick and slicing open Souths' left side. He swung left to help Marcelo Montoya score the first of his two tries and came close to putting Viliame Kikau in twice late on in the first half. Souths back-up playmaker Jayden Sullivan limped off with an apparent injury late in the second half. His absence for next week's clash against Melbourne would test the side's depth even further with Cody Walker still expected to be missing through a groin issue. Lightning has proved Canterbury's biggest enemy in a 24-18 defeat of South Sydney, who only jolted into action after inclement weather brought the game to a halt. Toby Sexton staked his claim to hold Lachlan Galvin from the Bulldogs' halfback spot as he inspired a 18-0 lead without Matt Burton on Sunday at Accor Stadium. Top-four side Canterbury looked ready to stroll to a big win, until the game came to a standstill just after 4.40pm (AEST) with lightning crashing nearby. It marked the first time since an Anzac Day hailstorm in 2015 that an NRL game was suspended by inclement weather. Gameday staff and media professionals ducked for cover in the tunnel as security ordered fans in the lower seating to seek shelter. Play resumed 28 minutes after the halt in play, following consultation between referee Adam Gee and venue staff. The stoppage proved a fresh start for the Rabbitohs, whose veteran winger Alex Johnston grabbed his 202nd career try from the side's first red-zone entry just before halftime. Souths continued to hammer the left edge and came within eight points as Jack Wighton dived over while Canterbury's Jake Turpin was in the sin bin for a high shot on Tyrone Munro. The Rabbitohs were daring to dream when a kick from Isaiah Tass off a scrum helped Tyrone Munro over on the right side and made it a one-score game. But with Souths' last roll of the dice, halfback Jamie Humphreys spilt the ball in a big shot from the returning Jacob Preston and the Bulldogs held on. Earlier, Sexton showed he would not be giving up his No.7 jersey without a fight as superstar recruit Galvin started his first game for Canterbury. Sexton's most impressive act was a silky one-two with Jacob Kiraz for the first try, fooling Jamie Humphreys by feigning a kick and slicing open Souths' left side. He swung left to help Marcelo Montoya score the first of his two tries and came close to putting Viliame Kikau in twice late on in the first half. Souths back-up playmaker Jayden Sullivan limped off with an apparent injury late in the second half. His absence for next week's clash against Melbourne would test the side's depth even further with Cody Walker still expected to be missing through a groin issue.
News.com.au
15-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Galvin & Toby run riot in dominant half
NRL: Toby Sexton and Lachlan Galvin combined well in their first half as a halves pairing, scoring three quick tries over South Sydney.
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
NRL great questions Galvin call as new footage exposes teammate's anger
Premiership-winning half Braith Anasta said he would be 'filthy' had he been in Bulldogs No. 7 Toby Sexton's shoes on Monday night. Sexton made the stunning admission that he thought teen debutant Lachlan Galvin was joking when he came on in the 57th minute and told the top-of-the-table halfback to go play hooker. 'He came on and said play hooker and I thought he was joking for a second and he goes 'Nah you're actually playing hooker' and I thought oh righto this will be good,' Sexton said. They were orders from coach Cameron Ciraldo who dragged on-the-nose No. 9 Reed Mahoney in the same interchange. 'Reed Mahoney wasn't happy at all about being taken off, it was visible, and then Sexton's post-match interview with us, he didn't even know he was going to move to No. 9 and the new kid on the block told him to go there,' Anasta said. 'Honestly, I'd be filthy. 'I love watching them win and I loved watching them play yesterday and I thought they were great and I think they can improve with Galvin. But if we're going to be honest, if I'm Sexton and we're coming first, I'm the chief playmaker, we're winning the game then the new kid on the block comes out and says you go to nine, I'm playing seven, you are filthy.' Galvin scored on debut and footage showed Mahoney by himself and visibly upset in the dressing rooms following the 30-12 win over the Eels. 'Even the vision of the entire Canterbury team jumping over Lachie when he scored that try and the emotion of Cameron Ciraldo in the coaching box getting up out of his chair,' Paul Crawley said. 'They're playing Parramatta sitting second last on the ladder and the coach has got so much riding on it. 'Then you see the vision of Reed Mahoney in the dressing room, after a comprehensive win, kicking stones. You can't hide what the real feeling was there.' broke the story last month that the Bulldogs had allowed Mahoney to start talking to rival clubs, just days after meeting with Galvin. 'There was always going to be fall guys, or a fall guy, in this,' Anasta said. 'We know that and Canterbury know that too and unfortunately it's looking like it's going to be Reed Mahoney and a positional switch for Sexton.'
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Why Lachlan Galvin's Canterbury debut is the first gaGalvin's Bulldogs debut is the first game of the rest of his NRL lifeme of the rest of his NRL life
Lachlan Galvin has never, in his life, played in a game like Monday and from the looks of things there will be many more of them to come. It wasn't just the monster crowd of 59,878 that came to see Canterbury take on Parramatta — plenty of players go their whole careers without an audience like that outside of State of Origin or a grand final. The cold and the wet were never going to keep the blue and white army away, not when their team entered the round top of the league and are now into the second half of a season that has premiership aspirations. The Eels fought hard and made the Bulldogs work for it after a strong first half. But Canterbury turned the screws expertly in the final quarter of the match to grind out another win, as expected — and that's the difference between this game and all the others Galvin has played at the top level. In signing with Canterbury, Galvin has linked with one of the best teams in the competition and the expectations are radically different to anything he experienced in his 18 months with Wests Tigers. At the joint venture, Galvin was in a relatively low-pressure environment. The wins and the losses still mattered, because in first grade they all matter, but the stakes were nowhere near as high, and in choosing Canterbury and moving there mid-season, Galvin has upped the ante on himself. Given the way they've started the season, every match the Bulldogs play from here on out will likely prove crucial in the premiership race. They are heavyweights and the intensity and attention paid to them reflect that status. Going from a rebuilding club to a true premiership contender halfway through a season is an enormous jump in responsibility for any player, let alone a 20-year-old with exactly a season and a half under his belt. But confidence has rarely been an issue for Galvin. It never felt likely he would be overawed, even accounting for the media circus surrounding his move and his first showing for the Bulldogs was a good one. He came on at halfback with 25 minutes to go, with Canterbury up by two and both sides ripping in and showed a cool head by getting involved without chasing after the game madly. Galvin had some nice moments and they all came within the rhythm of the Bulldogs process. He did not overplay his hand, but straightened the attack nicely for Viliame Kikau's key try and got one of his own to finish things off by pushing up in support on the back of an offload. His teammates swamped him and the crowd erupted as though he'd been a Bulldog his whole life. It was a fine debut, one which tantalised with its possibility. The challenge now for Galvin is doing it again and again and again as the games get bigger and the stakes get higher. At the Tigers, if he went off the boil for a few weeks like all young players and especially young halves can from time to time, it was easier to excuse. They were in a process of regeneration and he was barely getting started in his career. He was still finding his way and ups and downs are all part of that process. Making mistakes and learning from them or hitting flat spots and fighting through them are part of growing up, as a footballer and a person. But things are different now. Galvin is still young but this move has accelerated his own timeline. These days of coming off the bench will not last long and the time draws near when he will start at halfback for Canterbury and the weight of the challenge of greatness will be upon his broad shoulders because that's exactly what this team was aspiring to even before he arrived. He won't have to carry it alone. The Bulldogs are a team who find strength in their numbers and every week a new player seems to step up when needed to make the difference. Against Parramatta, it was young prop Harry Hayes who backed up Kurt Mann to score a key try and ran for 218 metres off the bench. It's that depth across the park that makes Canterbury so dangerous and why great things feel possible for them in 2025. Their win over Parramatta had all the hallmarks of some of their best wins this year — there was the utter devotion to their process, ball control that starved the opposition of any opportunity and an ability to invariably come home stronger. As a team, the Bulldogs are good at these things because they've done them before. The success it has delivered them over the past 18 months was likely a big factor in attracting Galvin in the first place, but now he must do the same in order to justify his presence there. Through this whole saga, Galvin has shown an ability to leave the drama behind when he hits the field. Blessed with the certainty of youth, the pressure of his situation has not gotten to him yet despite the constant talk and a spotlight that grows harsher all the time. Now it will be a different kind of pressure, less hyperbolic but certainly more concentrated. He is no longer the best thing about one of the worst teams in the league, he is a finishing touch, the final piece of a puzzle that was already looking close to completed. If he plays like he did in the 25 minutes on Monday, Galvin can take the Bulldogs even higher — but that's not what the blue and white faithful will hope for, it's what they will expect. He is no longer a player of the future on a team dreaming of the days when success may come, but a player of the present on a team who feel close to glory. Canterbury can aspire to be the best, so the best is what will be expected. Such is his talent, Galvin was always going to cross this bridge eventually but now he has done there's no way back to how it was before. He's moved into a new world and must learn to master it and at the top end of the ladder patience is hard to come by.
