Rugby league legend Braith Anasta believes Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould “took some shots” to take stress off rookie coach Cameron Ciraldo after their 66-0 embarrassment in Round 18.
Gould made a shock admission following the sport, explaining he advised Ciraldo to affix the membership in 2024 as a result of the Bulldogs “weren’t ready for him”.
However, Ciraldo insisted he wished to be part of the rebuild, leaving Ivan Cleary’s Panthers teaching group to affix the Belmore-based membership.
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While the Bulldogs have made a number of high-profile signings – together with Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney – they’re at the moment languishing in fifteenth place.
“It was a part of the conversation, he could have easily stayed at Penrith and won another premiership,” Gould advised reporters on Tuesday.
“He was ready for an NRL job, but I said we probably weren’t ready for him as a starting point and maybe next year we’d be in better shape.
“But he wanted to get into the fight, he said ‘if I am going to come I am going to be a part of the rebuild as well’.
“I’ve known him a long time and that’s the sort of bloke he is. I wasn’t saying don’t come, I was sort of saying you might be ready for us, but we might not be ready for you yet.
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“It was always a tough ask, particularly as his first job as a head coach but he’s handling it really well.”
Anasta defined that Gould fronted the media to “take the heat off” Ciraldo after his facet had been flogged by the Knights.
“I believe today Gus just put the bulletproof vest on, took some shots and gave Ciraldo some time,” Anasta mentioned.
“He is just trying to take the onus and take it off Cameron.”
“I’ve spoken to Ciraldo, it’s fact. Gus said ‘you don’t have to come this year’, but Ciraldo is that sort of character where he wants to turn the wheel slowly and now,” The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio added.
Anasta, who performed 110 video games for the Canterbury membership, believes the Bulldogs have misplaced their identification and labelled Ciraldo’s facet defence “pathetic”.
“It’s not the Bulldogs way, they’ve lost their DNA. You just want to see that toughness, that tenaciousness,” Anasta mentioned.
“They’ve lost it, this is my point. You watch a 66-0 and the attempts of tackling were pathetic.
“You question, ‘hang on, are we really creating a dynasty?’.
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“Have we got values and systems in place where regardless of who has that jersey on they are playing with pride and they want to win that game? I saw none of that.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone out there who thinks Cameron Ciraldo’s position is under pressure, but what we did watch was a team who capitulate,” The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley added.
“Defence is attitude, this season they have conceded the most points of any team. To get beaten by a team who is running 14th on the ladder 66-0 is an embarrassment any way you look at it.”
But for league legend Gorden Tallis, Bulldogs followers have each proper to be pissed off.
He pointed to the Broncos who gained the wood spoon in 2020 however are actually flying excessive on the top-end of the ladder in 2023.
Tallis believes the Bulldogs rebuild must be taking place at a sooner charge, particularly contemplating the gamers who’ve been recruited to reach in Belmore.
“You’ve got to be frustrated, Brisbane got the wooden spoon and look at them in three years? They turned it around quickly,” Tallis mentioned.
“You can turn it around quickly and it is sustainable in Brisbane, you’d think.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au