The heat is on Cameron Ciraldo but an incoming superstar says the Bulldogs coach is doing the right thing to make Canterbury a premiership threat.
NCA NewsWire
Stephen Crichton says he has “no regrets” joining Canterbury next season and has backed Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo’s physical approach to training as the only way to make the embattled club great again.
Crichton inked a four-year deal to head to Belmore back in January to work under Ciraldo, who was a former assistant at Penrith and a key part of their back-to-back premierships.
Cameron Ciraldo had a brutal start to his stint as Bulldogs coach.
There was plenty of talk about the Bulldogs turning into the Panthers under the defensive mastermind, but the boys in blue and white finished 2023 with just seven wins and conceded the most points (769) to finish down in 15th.
It’s been a completely different story for Crichton and his Panthers pals who clinched another minor premiership, scored the most points, conceded the fewest and are one win away from a fourth grand final in as many years.
Despite all that, Crichton – who has scored a try in each of the past three grand finals – has no qualms about the challenges he’ll face at Canterbury.
“There are no regrets,” he said.
“I’m going to take it head on and do what I have to do when I get there. I haven’t really thought about it because I’m not there, so I’m trying to focus all my mind and body on where I am right now and what I’ve got to do to win games.”
Stephen Crichton knows what it takes to win having done it for the Panthers, Blues and Samoa.
Crichton, 22, has emerged as one of the best athletes in rugby league and is also developing into a natural leader, something he knows he’ll have to lean on when he joins a club that has forgotten what success looks like.
“It comes down to the individual attitude of a player and if they want to do it or not,” he said.
“It’ll help me being a part of this club and what type of leader I’ve turned myself into being around this type of boys.”
There’s an old saying in rugby league that winning starts in the front office, but it also helps if teams are getting their work done at training, which has become a massive talking point for the Bulldogs.
Ciraldo has made it clear he wants to toughen up the squad with brutal training sessions, but that hasn’t gone down well with some players who have reportedly questioned the long days and physically demanding drills.
Canterbury’s training methods have been in the spotlight.
That all came to a head when one player reportedly walked out on the club late in the season and has been struggling ever since after he was forced to wrestle a large chunk of the squad because he turned up late to training.
The issue has split opinions, with some calling the punishment too tough, while others are adamant it’s the only way to fix a Bulldogs side that has grown used to losing.
“Without hard work, you’re not going to succeed,” said Crichton, who backed his future coach.
“Ciro has been here and Ciro was here at the start of the rebuild. He’s seen what hard work can do, and we’ve done it ever since the start and it’s worked.
“If you’re not doing hard work, then how do you expect to win?
“If you’re trying to get the easy outs at training, then you’re not there for the right reasons. You’re there for the money and the passion’s not there.
“The passion as an NRL player is to win – that’s what drives you to be the best person you can be – and that’s what I’ve learnt at Penrith. Everything comes from winning, and you’ve got to win to be your best.
“All of that comes from the way you train and you do everything.”
