Canterbury-Bankstown coach Cameron Ciraldo has made one of the most important decisions of his coaching career, naming star recruit Stephen Crichton as the club’s new captain.
Crichton, 23, a three-time premiership winner, will replace Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton, with Ciraldo telling the Bulldogs’ playing group on Thursday morning.
Crichton, a St Clair Comets junior from the Penrith Panthers system, returned to training before Christmas and excelled so much that he has been given the responsibility of leading Canterbury-Bankstown back to finals football.
The Bulldogs haven’t played in September since Des Hasler was coaching the club in 2016, with Crichton and Ciraldo now leading the charge to end a seven-season finals drought.
Ciraldo went out of his way to commend hooker Mahoney and five-eighth Burton for leading the Bulldogs last season.
“I just want to lead with my actions,” Crichton said in a club statement.
“I’ve been at a successful Club and I’ve seen what strong leaders look like. I’ve learned a lot from the older lads that I was with, and I’ve taken a few things from each person that I can incorporate in my life on and off the pitch .
“When I arrived at the camp, I knew the boys were scared, and I knew that my communication and leadership skills could lift their spirits and get them excited.
“I was looking at the tail end of the camp, where this squad may go once it was over, and I knew they needed a leader to get them through the camp. So I kind of assumed 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.”
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