Stephen Crichton will be the new Canterbury Bulldogs captain

He hasn’t even played an NRL game for the Bulldogs yet but there’s a lot of faith in the club’s new captain.

The Canterbury Bulldogs have installed premiership winning former Penrith star Stephen Crichton as the club’s new captain before he’s even played an NRL game in blue and white.

Crichton, 23, replaces Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney as he prepares for his first year at Belmore having crossed after being part of the Panther’s triple-treat of premierships and said he’d bring all that experience to his new role.

“I just want to lead with my actions,” Crichton said.

“I’ve been at a successful Club and I’ve seen what good leaders look like and I’ve learnt a lot from the older boys that I was with and I’ve taken a few things from each person that I can implement in my life on and off the field, as well as in being a leader.

“Going into the camp I knew straight away the boys were nervous and I knew that my communication and leadership could bring the boys up a bit and make them excited,” he said.

Ciraldo announces Crichton as new Club Captain. 👏

➡️ https://t.co/GXV9NcT9Zypic.twitter.com/lXywCFeSNL

— Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (@NRL_Bulldogs) February 22, 2024

“I was looking at the back end of the camp, when camp was finished, and where this team could go to and I knew that they needed a leader to get them through the camp. So, I just kind of took on that role from the start.

“We have a lot of leaders that were talking through camp just as much as me, and I wasn’t trying to put that pressure just on me, I leaned on them, the other senior boys, just as much as they were leaning on myself.”

Crichton said he and his new teammates were “hungry” to find success after a lean decade.

“I just listened to a few of the boys that have been at the Club for a while about how much it means to them and it hit me,” he said.

“It’s a community Club, it’s a family Club. They really do care about their fans.

“I see it as hardworking, proper Dogs. Hungry. I look at the past players, Sonny Bill, Willie Mason, James Graham, players like that. They just did it without hesitation. They were just hard Dogs. That’s what I see the Club as and that’s what Ciro [Ciraldo] is trying to build here: You put the team first, you go out there and you play your heart out.

“I can’t wait to go out there and play for them [the Bulldogs] and for my family.”

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said the new captain was a “really good reader of energy”.

“ He understands when people are a little bit flat, low on energy, and when it’s a bit quiet, and he can change the mood in an instant. Sometimes that’s with some annoying music or sounds, or loud noises that he comes up with but he’s great at bringing people together,” Ciraldo said.

“He really understands bringing positive energy to the group and he’s been such a valuable asset to us this pre-season.”

The Bulldogs will begin their NRL campaign against Parramatta.

Originally published as Stephen Crichton will be the new Canterbury Bulldogs captain