Stephen Crichton wasn’t recruited by the Canterbury Bulldogs with the intention of playing him as a centre. Despite being recognized as one of the NRL’s most skilled centres, as evidenced by his performances with the Penrith Panthers, this wasn’t the primary reason Cameron Ciraldo and the Bulldogs brought him on board.
His appointment as club captain in his inaugural year at Belmore wasn’t solely based on his prowess in the centre position either. When the Bulldogs unexpectedly announced Crichton as skipper for the upcoming season, it was disclosed that his likely role at fullback played a significant role in the decision.
However, after four weeks into the season, Crichton has yet to feature anywhere other than in the three-quarters position. This comes despite the team only securing a single victory against the Gold Coast Titans and suffering defeats against the Parramatta Eels, Cronulla Sharks, and most recently, the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Good Friday.
While the Bulldogs showed improvements defensively in their loss to the Rabbitohs on Good Friday, with only isolated lapses costing them, their offensive performance continues to struggle.
Although they managed to put up 32 points against the Titans in Round 3, their scoring output in their other three games combined totals just 30 points.
With four weeks elapsed in the season, there’s ample data to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement.
Despite not being the league’s worst-performing team, especially compared to the struggling Titans, there are evident issues the Bulldogs need to address.
One of the most glaring adjustments they should consider is deploying Stephen Crichton at fullback.
In the four games played, Crichton has scored only one try, assisted one more, and had minimal involvement with the ball, touching it just 68 times at an average of 17 per game.
His limited number of tackle breaks, offloads, and running meters, along with his role as the supposed primary attacking threat at centre, underscore his lack of impact.
While there’s no guarantee that moving Crichton to fullback would solve all their problems, it’s worth noting that despite significant offseason recruitment efforts, the Bulldogs are yet to see substantial returns.
Their current win-loss record of one win and three losses would typically signal a team in danger of missing the finals. While external expectations might have been low for the Bulldogs this season, internally, there likely was a different outlook.
With Cameron Ciraldo in his second season as head coach and Phil Gould overseeing squad reconstruction, significant changes have been made, but tangible results have yet to materialize.
It’s evident that the Bulldogs need to start seeing tangible results, and if they can’t achieve them, then significant and immediate adjustments are imperative.
While Blake Taaffe hasn’t performed poorly or been the weakest link in the Bulldogs lineup in the initial rounds, that shouldn’t be the deciding factor. If the Bulldogs have invested a substantial portion of their salary cap in Crichton with the intention of utilizing his attacking prowess at fullback, then that’s where he should play going forward, even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate change in their fortunes.
Whether Taaffe has a role in the team if he’s not at fullback is debatable, but ultimately irrelevant. Canterbury must structure their team around their most potent weapon playing in the crucial fullback position.
While Taaffe may not be suited to playing in the centres, there could be an opportunity for him in the halves. Drew Hutchison is another player Canterbury may need to reconsider, given his lack of impact and effectiveness in the opening rounds.
While Hutchison’s statistics might appear satisfactory, the performance of a halfback should ultimately be judged by the team’s ability to score points.
Whether Taaffe could contend for the number seven jersey remains uncertain, with Toby Sexton likely being the primary candidate if Ciraldo decides to make changes in the halves.
However, Ciraldo may be hesitant to make two alterations to his spine simultaneously, especially considering the need to replace Josh Addo-Carr (due to concussion) and Jacob Preston (due to a fractured jaw) ahead of their Round 5 clash with the Sydney Roosters at home on Friday evening.
If these changes aren’t implemented this week, they’re likely not far off unless the Bulldogs significantly alter their attacking approach and start seeing tangible improvements reflected on the scoreboard.
Resolving the debate between the number one and number seven positions should eventually be straightforward, although not as straightforward as the decision to replace Crichton. Bronson Xerri is more than prepared for a promotion to the Bulldogs’ centres, having impressed during the preseason challenge and being among the unfortunate players not to have featured in the early rounds.
It’s time to incorporate Xerri’s power, size, and strength into the lineup, facilitating Crichton’s transition to fullback and structuring the team around this change.
The Bulldogs need to act swiftly to address their issues, as the trajectory of their 2024 season is beginning to resemble that of 2023 and previous seasons marked by struggles and disappointing results.
