{"id":643760,"date":"2026-05-01T23:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T23:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643760\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T23:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T23:42:10","slug":"doubts-over-lachlan-galvins-position-is-he-a-halfback-why-form-of-other-players-are-suffering-bulldogs-cameron-ciraldo-bulldogs-v-cowboys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643760\/","title":{"rendered":"Doubts over Lachlan Galvin\u2019s position, is he a halfback, why form of other players are suffering, Bulldogs, Cameron Ciraldo, Bulldogs v Cowboys"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the question that won\u2019t go away and after another ugly Bulldogs loss, the doubts will only intensify. <\/p>\n

Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Did the Bulldogs make the right call blowing up their spine last year to accommodate former Tiger Lachlan Galvin in the No. 7 jersey.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There have been too few moments to suggest it was the right decision.<\/p>\n

Once again, the Bulldogs attack struggled on Friday night despite enjoying plenty of ball in the Cowboys\u2019 end.<\/p>\n

Galvin was one of the Bulldogs\u2019 better players, as he has been all season, but is he able to provide what a team needs from their chief playmaker?<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t really understand moving him to be honest,\u201d Braith Anasta said after the Bulldogs\u2019 28-12 loss to NQ.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure Ciraldo is a very smart coach so he\u2019s got his reasons for it, but I wouldn\u2019t have done it and there have been a lot of decisions that have been crazy<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one can question Lachlan Galvin\u2019s effort, intensity, energy \u2014 he\u2019s their most threatening player on the field. He really is every week.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had 10 to 20 runs but as good as that is \u2026 you\u2019ve got to unlock the players around and create opportunities \u2026 at the moment you just know what Lachlan is going to do. It\u2019s high-energy and he\u2019s going to score a try now and then. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut is he the halfback? Is he the answer? <\/p>\n

\u201cThey made that big decision last year, they brought him to the club as a seven, Sexton gone, and they don\u2019t want to talk about it but the fact is they haven\u2019t been the same since. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re in a position now where I believe they\u2019ve got two five-eighths and when will they make the call. Are they going to make a call?\u201d<\/p>\n

“A Lot of Good in that first 60 minutes” | 03:38<\/p>\n

MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n

\u2018BEEN THROUGH A LOT\u2019: Storm GM steps in for Bellamy, reveals coach\u2019s response<\/a><\/p>\n

BIG HITS: Historic low for Storm as Hammer leads Dolphins to epic comeback win<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018WILL LOOK AT THAT\u2019: Ciraldo hints at team changes as Dogs\u2019 slump continues<\/a><\/p>\n

BIG HITS: Origin gun dealt injury blow as \u2018motivated\u2019 ex-Bulldogs star has last laugh<\/a><\/p>\n

Galvin scored the first try against the Cowboys and was busy all night, running 14 times for 108 metres. <\/p>\n

He is not to be blamed at all, but his game style just isn\u2019t what this team needs at seven given some of the other players around him in key positions.<\/p>\n

Forming combinations with certain players\/positions is so crucial for a halfback, so the constant chopping and changing of the line up has probably played against him.<\/p>\n

Ex-NRL star Michael Ennis noted this.<\/p>\n

There have been a number of pundits, you played for Australia and I heard Andrew Johns say similar comments around where you think Lachlan Galvin is suited but at the moment the Bulldogs believe he is their best seven,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought with a pre-season behind him to build some conversations, we\u2019d see him grow into this footy side.<\/p>\n

He started the season with Stephen Crichton on the left now he\u2019s back on the right. Jacob Preston has switched sides. I don\u2019t feel that helps him. You need those consistent combinations.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me Galvin is a busy half. He\u2019s busy but one area he definitely needs to grow is his ability to unlock players\u2019 strengths around him and create space and put them into positions where they can shine.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a running threat but I don\u2019t see consistently those type of performances like we saw at Penrith where someone outside of them has a big night. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment three of their spine players are good runners of the footy but then that limits opportunities for blokes like Bronson Xerri and Stephen Crichton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n

Ennis, a former dummy-half for the Bulldogs also mentioned the lack of creativity from hooker has made life difficult for Galvin and halves partner Matt Burton.<\/p>\n

Bailey Hayward was moved to hooker last year, which forced Reed Mahoney out of the starting side and out of the club with a season to run on his deal.<\/p>\n

Now a Cowboy, Mahoney was excellent against his old teammates.<\/p>\n

Hayward is a decent player but his dummy-half craft has room for improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re (Galvin and Burton) both runners, that\u2019s where you need the creativity from your nine. They don\u2019t have that right now,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of their spine players are runners of the footy but that limits Crichton and Xerri.<\/p>\n

\u201cBailey Hayward is building but he\u2019s been thrust into that position. If your nine doesn\u2019t run and your two halves are just running threats then how do you put your back rowers and centres into space and into positions to thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely decisions to be made.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the question that won\u2019t go away and after another ugly Bulldogs loss, the doubts will only intensify.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":643761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[48257,64,63,689,18194,87396,7618,7622,18382,311555,32918,68982,2105,27156,4592,311554,32917,761,762,673,764,158,677,54341,85,4546,670,18263,311553,311556],"class_list":["post-643760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-andrew-johns","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-braith-anasta","tag-bronson-xerri","tag-cameron-ciraldo","tag-canterbury-bulldogs","tag-chief-playmaker","tag-consistent-combinations","tag-footy-side","tag-game-style","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-halves-partner","tag-jacob-preston","tag-limits-opportunities","tag-michael-ennis","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-south-wales","tag-north-queensland-cowboys","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-spine-players","tag-sports","tag-stephen-crichton","tag-sydney","tag-team-needs","tag-teammate-issue","tag-tiger-lachlan-galvin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=643760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/643761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=643760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=643760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=643760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}