Canterbury-Bankstown coach Cameron Ciraldo has made one of the most important decisions of his coaching career, naming star recruit Stephen Crichton as the club’s new captain.
Crichton, 23, a three-time premiership winner, will replace Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton, with Ciraldo telling the Bulldogs’ playing group on Thursday morning.
Crichton, a St Clair Comets junior from the Penrith Panthers system, returned to training before Christmas and excelled so much that he has been given the responsibility of leading Canterbury-Bankstown back to finals football.
The Bulldogs haven’t played in September since Des Hasler was coaching the club in 2016, with Crichton and Ciraldo now leading the charge to end a seven-season finals drought.
Ciraldo went out of his way to commend hooker Mahoney and five-eighth Burton for leading the Bulldogs last season.
“I just want to lead with my actions,” Crichton said in a club statement.
“I’ve been at a successful Club and I’ve seen what strong leaders look like. I’ve learned a lot from the older lads that I was with, and I’ve taken a few things from each person that I can incorporate in my life on and off the field, as well as in being a leader
“When I arrived at the camp, I knew the boys were scared, and I knew that my communication and leadership skills could lift their spirits and get them excited.
“I was looking at the tail end of the camp, where this squad may go once it was over, and I knew they needed a leader to get them through the camp. So I kind of assumed that role from the start.
“We had a lot of leaders talking through camp just as much as me, and I wasn’t putting that pressure solely on myself; I relied on them, the other senior boys, just as much as they relied on me.
Crichton has made an early impact since joining Canterbury-Bankstown, and he was the clear choice to be elected captain when the club went on a pre-season army camp.
Crichton also paid respect to some of the champion Bulldogs players who helped shape the fabric of the club that became known as “The Family Club” in the 1980s.
“I just heard a few of the lads who have been at the Club for a while talk about how important it is to them, and it hit me. It is a community and family club. “They genuinely care about their fans,” Crichton remarked.
“I regard them as hardworking, proper dogs. Hungry. I look at past players such as Sonny Bill, Willie Mason, and James Graham. They simply did it without hesitation. They were simply hard Dogs. That’s what I view the Club as, and that’s what Ciro [Ciraldo] is attempting to establish here: you put the team first, go out there, and play your heart out. That is what being a Bulldog entails.
“I can’t wait to go out there and play for them [the Bulldogs] and for my family.”
Bulldogs coach Ciraldo stated that Crichton’s leadership abilities were evident as soon as he arrived at Belmore.
“Stephen has an excellent ability to read energy. He knows when people are tired, short on energy, or when it’s quiet, and he can shift the mood in an instance. Ciraldo remarked, “He’s great at bringing people together, even if it’s with some annoying music, sounds, or loud noises he makes.”
“He knows the importance of bringing positive energy to the club, and he has been an invaluable asset to us this preseason.
“Reed [Mahoney] and Burto [Matt Burton] have played critical roles in laying the groundwork for our team’s success, on and off the field. They performed an excellent job being thrown into the deep end last year, putting their hands up during a difficult year to help guide our new team. There were many lessons and learnings from last year, and Reed and Burto will both benefit from the experience.
The Bulldogs will meet Cronulla in the NRL’s pre-season challenge at Belmore Oval on Friday, with Crichton captaining the team and making his debut appearance in a Canterbury-Bankstown jersey.
Crichton has 56 tries in 100 NRL games since his debut with Penrith in 2019.