The Bulldogs have a backline headache on their hands, with a league legend floating a left-field solution to solve Cameron Ciraldo’s puzzle and take pressure of the club’s young gun.

Canterbury have won only one of their last four games, beating a Panthers side that rested 16 players amongst losses to the Roosters, Storm and Sharks.

During that period, star outside back Jacob Kiraz suffered an ankle injury, while both Marcelo Montoya (ankle) and Bronson Xerri (head knock) will be unavailable against the Storm.

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Along with those omissions, the Bulldogs’ attack has been lacklustre and criticism has been aimed at rising star Lachlan Galvin, who has taken over from Toby Sexton at halfback.

League icon Matty Johns, albeit admitting it’d be a big call, explained Matt Burton could be the man to fill the gaping hole in the centres, with Sexton earning a No.7 recall.

“Question for the Dogs, Kiraz is out of course, Montoya is out, Bronson Xerri is out. Left side centre, let me throw something at you,” he said on the Matty and Cronk podcast.

“Please don’t dismiss it entirely, Burton to left centre. Galvin to six, Sexton to seven… they wouldn’t swallow their pride?”

Burton switched to the centres after Xerri failed his HIA in Round 27, but was quickly moved back into the halves at halftime, and also started Round 18 in the outside backs.

For league legend Cooper Cronk, the fact Burton was rushed back into his five-eighth position against the Sharks proves the Dogs need his kicking game at five-eighth.

“Honestly, you’re not far off the mark… I don’t think they’d do it. Their kicking game, long kicking game particularly, is affected,” Cronk said.

“You saw what happened when Burton went there on the weekend, their long kicking game suffered… Sexton is on the bench for me, there you go.”

With the Bulldogs’ attack floundering, veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield was of the belief Galvin was “suffering” with the weight of expectation.

With Galvin in the No.7 jersey, Canterbury have managed 20 points or more in only three of eight games, tallying only four points against a finals rival in the Sharks last weekend.

“To me, Galvin is a big story, he came to that club under unprecedented blowtorch, Richo offering him a five-year $6m deal, Gus (Gould) saying he’s the best teenager ever and he’s had to slot in,” veteran reporter Phil Rothfield said on NRL360 on Monday night.

Lachlan Galvin has endured a mountain of criticism to close out the 2025 season.Source: Getty Images

“What you can see a guy who is suffering a little bit under the tension and the anxiety and he’s not a playing natural Lachlan Galvin game we saw at the Wests Tigers.

“He is carrying the weight of that entire football side for the campaign.”

Even for veteran playmakers, the pressure of finals football can weigh heavily on their shoulders, and premiership-winning star Braith Anasta explained Galvin is no different.

The young gun has also been injected into the halfback role, with his previous first grade experience coming as a freewheeling five-eighth.

Anasta likened Galvin’s struggles as a No.7 to Panthers icon Craig Gower, who began his career at hooker before learning how to become an organising halfback at a young age.

“Craig Gower, one of the game’s best halfbacks, said he wasn’t a halfback to begin with,” Anasta said.

“Everyone has forgotten about that. He wasn’t halfback and they bought (Galvin) as a halfback. They’ve tried to turn him into a halfback at a premier club coming first.

“It’s not easy to do that in first grade rugby league as a 21-year-old kid. Add to that expectation and pressures. I think many have overestimated his talents at this stage.”

However, Dogs skipper Stephen Crichton is certain Galvin will deliver a statement performance in the club’s finals clash against the Storm.

“The evolution of him since he has come has made our team a better side. Not everyone will see that, and that’s fine,” he explained to Code Sports.

‘He’s the best backrower in the game’ | 00:59

“But everyone in our four walls that understand what our system is and what we need, and that’s no offence to Toby (Sexton) because he did what was needed but that next step was Lachie.

“I feel like regardless who was in our number seven they would have copped it. But I’m confident whoever is there will get the job done.”

And like everyone who came before Galvin, criticism is unfortunately what comes with being in a pivotal position.

“I just feel like he cops it a bit overboard at times,” Crichton said.

“Even players like Nathan (Cleary) has been through it. If you’re not getting hate, I don’t feel like you are doing it right.

“I feel like everyone is always trying to pull the good players down, and I think Lachie at the age of 19-years old right now, he is definitely going through it tough.”

For league legend Gorden Tallis, the expectation and pressure to deliver could stem from phil Gould’s hefty wraps of the talented playmaker.

“When I sat with Phil Gould, I was a 20-year old guy and I’d played State of Origin, and he called me a bench player. that was ringing in my ears for five years,” he said.

‘Would take an elephant gun to stop him’ | 00:41

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“I couldn’t imagine if he told me he was the best kid he’s ever seen. I couldn’t imagine. To put you up on a pedestal like that and he’s got to go out there every week.

“The game sits there waiting for this kid because one of the greatest judges and football brains in our game put that tag on him.”

Meanwhile, despite wearing the No.7 to close out this year, Galvin’s future could lie in a different role.

“He will move to six eventually I would imagine,” The Australian’s Brent Read said.

“He will be in that team somewhere. He’s a really good footballer and Gus Gould isn’t the only guy who said Lachlan Galvin is a very good footballer.

“He might not be the seven, he may not be the six. He might be the 13 but he will make them a better team.”