Canterbury skipper Stephen Crichton has cleared the air on his relationship with Lachlan Galvin as the youngster prepares to wear the Bulldogs No.6 jersey for the first time on Sunday afternoon.
Galvin's arrival in Belmore late last month drew plenty of speculation over how he would be received by senior Bulldogs players, particularly given the friendship some have with Wests Tigers halfback Jarome Luai.
Monday's club debut, however, put those questions to bed, with players rushing to congratulate the 19-year-old after he scored a try late in the win over Parramatta.
Crichton concedes he was disappointed with the fallout to Galvin's Tigers departure, including speculation he may not be well received at the Bulldogs.
Lachlan Galvin Try
"I don't really like either but I feel like you don't know someone unless you actually meet them," Crichton from NSW Blues camp.
"You can have an opinion about someone, but unless you go up there and speak to them, you never know how that person is. That's probably what I got, from Lachy, because I never really met him until he got to the club.
“When he did get there, the biggest thing was he was happy. He loves his footy, comes from a loving family, and the connection between the boys and him is probably the most vital thing. We're just happy to have him at the club as well."
Galvin had a meeting with the Bulldogs squad soon after his arrival, where he explained his motivations for joining the club.
Developing as a player was top of the list, along with becoming a better person away from football.
Galvin enters the field for the Bulldogs
Crichton and his teammates walked away from the meeting impressed by the youngster and the skipper is confident Galvin's commitment off the field will translate to the field.
"We just wanted to learn what was the honest truth with everything," Crichton said. "It wasn't about money and things like that, it's just coming to learn, for one.
“Two, being a better person and to be a better footy player as well. I feel like he's landed at the best club for that. Ever since coming, he's just learned so much in the space of five days before that game.
“He got his opportunity on the weekend and I was that happy to see him shine and see him smiling too. Especially after a stressful week, coming to a new club and a lot of noise around it too. I feel like he handled it really well.
"There's probably a few things that I’ve seen in him straight away; always first in, doing his video, last one on the field, practicing his kicks, different types of kicks. But that's all of our halves there, and he just kind of slotted in, with Burto and Toby. He just joined in with them. They're little signs, it's pretty early, but it's good."
Match: Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
Round 15 -
home Team
Rabbitohs
14th Position
away Team
Bulldogs
1st Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Viliame Kikau will captain the Bulldogs in Crichton's absence in Sunday's clash with the Rabbitohs, with the centre one of four players unavailable due to State of Origin commitments.
The changes have seen Galvin come into the starting side at five-eighth to partner Toby Sexton in the halves.
While his attacking skills have been widely praised, Crichton said the youngster will be judged internally on his defensive performance.
"Everyone knows what he can do with the ball, but coming to the Dogs, a defensive mindset comes first," Crichton said.
“He's come in, he's shown a lot with the ball, but there's a lot of learnings there that he can take in defensively. That's something that we pride ourselves on, our defence more than our attack."
While Matt Burton's NSW call up made the decision to select Galvin at five-eighth an easy one for Cameron Ciraldo, the coach faces a tougher call when his Origin players return in Round 17.
The line up will give an early indication of the club's long-term plans amid fears some players will be squeezed out.
Toby Sexton Try
Sexton is off contract at the end of the year, while Reed Mahoney has reportedly been told he can explore options elsewhere. The hooker cut a dejected figure in the locker room post-game on Monday after he was replaced by Galvin late in the contest.
Crichton acknowledged tough decisions need to be made but said every player at the Bulldogs recognises the importance of putting the team first.
“It's the kind of culture that we're building right now," Crichton said. “One of our values at the Bulldogs is a team-first mentality. Regardless of where you sit in the team, it's always what the club needs and the team goes first.
“I feel like once you put that at the forefront of your mind, regardless of who's in the team, you want the club going in the right direction. You put your individual thoughts and ego at the door.
“Whatever team is picked to do the job on the weekend, that's where the team wants to go and it's always team first. We've learned that over the past few years, regardless if you're in the team or not, it's always team first, and we've got a good balance of that at the moment."
