Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo believes new recruit Toby Sexton may be the membership’s long-term halfback, which is why he had no hesitation selecting him this weekend as they attempt to bounce again from their horror loss to Newcastle.
The Bulldogs have been embarrassed 66-0 final week that led to their very own followers booing them off the sector, however Ciraldo has seen a response from them at coaching and says the gamers “got back to being connected” in an indication they’re determined to atone for what occurred.
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“No one wants to go through what happened on Sunday, but if that spurs them on to train harder and work harder and that helps them to have better careers and us to become a better football club, then it might be a blessing for us,” he mentioned.
“It didn’t feel like that on Sunday and we never want that to happen again, but hopefully we learn the lessons from that and it never happens again.”
The Bulldogs responded swiftly from the loss by signing Sexton from the Titans for the subsequent two seasons, along with his path on the Gold Coast blocked by present halves Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran, whereas Ben Hunt might be heading north subsequent yr.
The 22-year-old has been restricted to only one NRL look this season when he scored the winner in opposition to the Dragons however has needed to bide his time for Tweed in reserve grade.
Canterbury has lacked a dominant half for some time now, with Kyle Flanagan failing to make the place his personal, whereas Matt Burton isn’t suited to being the workforce’s chief organiser.
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“We’ve been watching Toby for a while. I’ve tracked his career since he debuted,” Ciraldo mentioned.
“He was really impressive when he first came into first grade as a youngster and showed some really good signs.
“He’s had his own bits of adversity where he’s had to play Queensland Cup and things like that, but he’s come in and he’s a communicator which is something we’ve been lacking.
“He’s really added to our group, but he’s not going to come in and be the saviour.”
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Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould spoke earlier within the week about not counting on fast fixes to assist the membership within the brief time period, nevertheless it’s clear they see Sexton as somebody who may be at Belmore for a very long time.
“He’s wearing it (the No.7 jersey) this weekend, so the ball is in his court and we’re going to back him with that,” Ciraldo mentioned.
“He’s signed here for a few years and we’re very excited about what he can do. He’s got a really exciting opportunity in front of him.
“When we spoke to Toby it was pretty clear to see how mature he was and how well he understood his own game and how well he understood our game from watching from afar.
“He’s a very bright kid with a high footy IQ and he can help us, so there’s no point waiting another week to throw him in.
“He knew a lot of what we were doing already. He’s a guy that watches a lot of footy and he’s clearly been watching our team and has seen what we’re doing and what we’re not doing. He had a real opinion about how he could help our team.”
Sexton’s arrival means there’s no room for children Karl Oloapu and Khaled Rajab within the aspect to face the Rabbitohs, however Ciraldo is adamant they will nonetheless play a task in 2023.
“There’s always a path for those guys to return,” he mentioned.
“Handling guys when they’re 18, 19 or 20 at the start of their careers is a juggling act. Sometimes you give them a couple of games and then put them back (to NSW Cup) to build their confidence. That’s what they’re doing.
“Those guys are really tough kids and they’ve very versatile, so they’re going to work their way back into first grade and use these lessons they’ve learnt over the past couple of months.
“We’re very excited about their futures at this club.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au