Leadership and Accountability in the Bulldogs’ Struggle
Leo Thompson has expressed his approval of captain Stephen Crichton’s strong leadership during a recent match, where he was seen confronting halfback Lachlan Galvin. Thompson believes that for Canterbury to break out of their current NRL slump, the team must hold each other accountable.
Canterbury is set to face Cronulla in the Magic Round, hoping to end a four-game losing streak after a heavy 44-12 defeat against the Dolphins. The Bulldogs, who were in the top four last season, now sit at 13th place after 10 rounds. The frustration of skipper Crichton was evident in the final moments of the Dolphins game.
After Kodi Nikorima scored through a gap between Galvin and prop Harry Hayes in the 65th minute, Crichton could be seen shouting at Galvin and clapping in anger. When asked about this incident, Thompson said: “It (the result) means a lot to us and it’s something we encourage at this club. We’re all encouraged to coach each other and keep each other to a high standard. There are some things we like to embrace and we don’t take anything to heart when we do have those conversations.”
Coach Cameron Ciraldo pointed out that Canterbury has been making “soft” defensive decisions on their edges. This year, Ciraldo has changed his centres, with Crichton moving to the right edge and Bronson Xerri taking the left position.
“I didn’t hear that (Ciraldo’s comment) but I think it’s about us going out and competing,” said Hayes. “We don’t go into the game with that soft mindset. We want to go out there and work hard for each other and that’s what we’ve got to do this weekend.”
Cronulla has only won one of their last four games, and Canterbury will need a strong performance from Thompson if they are to get their season back on track. Thompson was brought to Belmore with the goal of being the bell cow of the Dogs pack. However, the New Zealander has not won any of his first four games due to a calf injury that delayed his debut until round seven.
“I’m still building and I’m happy, personally, with the way my game’s progressing,” Thompson said. “I’m getting fitter, punching out more minutes and more work, so it’s just upwards for me. I’m just focusing on fitting in the system at the moment and doing my job for the team. As I get more comfortable in games I’ll start to bring a little bit of my game and express myself a bit more.”
In some positive news for the Bulldogs, NSW State of Origin front-rower Max King participated in contact training with the main squad on Monday after sustaining a broken jaw in last month’s win over Penrith.
“He’s big for our forward pack, he starts the game really well for us and we’ve missed him,” Hayes said. “The boys that have come in have done a really good job but Max is a great leader for our forward pack.”
