Lachlan Galvin said when he signed for Canterbury that he was happy to bide his time in NSW Cup, and that might now be a realistic proposition after his omission from the squad that beat North Queensland 12-8 in Townsville on Saturday.
The 19-year-old playmaker was rushed into the Bulldogs’ top 17 after his much-publicised release by Wests Tigers last month, and scored a try on debut for his new club in their 30-12 win against Parramatta in round 14.
The game’s most scrutinised teenager appeared in four consecutive games - twice off the bench and twice at five-eighth - and was initially named as fresh reserve for the clash with the Cowboys.
But after back-to-back losses, he was an 11th-hour omission and watched the game from the coaches’ box at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
In his absence, Toby Sexton and Matt Burton resumed their halves partnership and the third-placed Bulldogs posted their 12th win of the season, to stay in the race for the minor premiership.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo was non-committal when asked post-match about what role he sees for Galvin in the immediate future.
“I’m not too sure about that,” Ciraldo said. “We’ll see how that goes. But tonight we’re just going to celebrate a really hard-fought win.”
Ciraldo pointed out, however, that the Bulldogs would be boosted next week by the return of State of Origin stars Stephen Crichton and Kurt Mann, as well as the availability of Sitili Tupouniua after serving a suspension.
Lachlan Galvin was a spectator in Townsville as the Bulldogs beat the Cowboys.Credit: Getty Images
Mann, in particular, has established himself as Canterbury’s first-choice interchange handyman, a role Galvin could potentially have filled.
Against the Cowboys, Jaeman Salmon was deployed as bench utility, with the equally versatile Bailey Hayward starting at lock.
Barring injuries or suspensions, it’s hard to see where Ciraldo can squeeze Galvin into his squad, raising the question of whether he should return to NSW Cup to maintain match fitness while he waits for another top-grade opportunity.
Ciraldo indicated it was a case of horses for courses in tropical Townsville, and admitted he had second thoughts about Galvin’s omission when Burton left the field in the second half for a head-injury assessment.
Toby Sexton hoists a bomb against North Queensland.Credit: Getty Images
“It was a hard one because it would have been nice to have Lachie on when ‘Burto’ went off,” Ciraldo said.
“I reckon if he [Galvin] was on there [the bench] to bring him on at the back end with fresh legs, I thought he could really have asked some more questions of the Cowboys’ defence.
“But I thought we needed four forwards on the bench. [Max King] is backing up from Origin, Jaeman Salmon’s first game back.
“We looked at the Cowboys-Melbourne game last week, and a lot of players were cramping up at the back end of the game, so we thought it was really important to carry an extra forward tonight.
“When ‘Burto’ went off, I was thinking maybe that wasn’t the right decision, but it was clearly the right decision, because our forwards worked their arses off. And it was tough. It was hot and humid out there.”
Ciraldo offered Galvin a glimmer of hope when he admitted Canterbury’s attack looked “a bit clunky at times”, adding that their attack functioned better in back-to-back losses against Penrith and Brisbane, when Galvin played.
“It wasn’t our best performance tonight,” Ciraldo said.
“I thought we probably played better the last two weeks, especially with the ball.
“But we just had to scrap out a win tonight. Leaving ‘Critta’ [Crichton] and Kurt Mann at home, it was important these guys were able to graft out a win.
“Add ‘Critta’ and Kurt Mann - and Sitili comes back next week - we’re starting to get our team back together and we’re past this Origin period, and we can get into this last third of the season.”
Ciraldo was delighted with the debut of 19-year-old local junior Jethro Rinakama on the wing. He scored Canterbury’s second try, carried the ball 183 metres in attack and made all five tackles he attempted.
“I just thought he was brilliant,” Ciraldo said of the 19-year-old local junior.
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