Canterbury forward Jaeman Salmon has opened up on the role coach Cameron Ciraldo played in resurrecting his rugby league career five years ago.
The lock made his first-grade debut with the Eels in 2018 but nearly walked away from the sport two years later after a COVID-affected season.
While the ljmpta.competition was resurrected in 2020, NSW Cup was cancelled. Salmon was forced to spend the season training with little hope of any actual game time. He did not feature in a first-grade match all year.
Then a promising 21-year-old, the forward was desperate for a change of scenery when an opportunity at the Panthers emerged.
Inside the Eels' bubble with Jaeman Salmon
"2020 was very tough," Salmon said. "The competition got canned so for the boys on the fringe, which was me at that stage, our heads weren't really in footy.
"It was hard to stay concentrated, it was hard to train when you weren't playing. It was hard to do a lot of things and that's where I got sick of the game for a bit. It wasn't until I got to Penrith that I fell back in love with rugby league."
Salmon's move to Penrith triggered a remarkable rise, with the forward playing two games in 2021 before featuring in 25 games in 2022, including the Panthers' grand final victory over Parramatta.
Salmon slides over
Opportunities, however, remained limited and he jumped at the chance to join Ciraldo's Belmore rebuild at the start of last season.
Salmon has become a mainstay in the Bulldogs pack throughout the past two years, providing defensive resolve and attacking versatility in the middle.
The lock's career will come full circle on Sunday afternoon when the Bulldogs play Penrith in a sudden-death semi-final in front of a crowd likely to crack 70,000 fans at Accor Stadium.
Match: Bulldogs v Panthers
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Bulldogs
3rd Position
away Team
Panthers
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
"I met Ciro at the Panthers and he basically taught me what it takes to be an NRL player," Salmon said. "Without Ciro, I probably wouldn't have progressed the way I have and I credit a lot to him, as a lot of the boys do at Penrith.
"That time in Penrith was very important for me and it got my career back on track and I've just been building from there.
"When he moved to Canterbury I rang him and told him I wanted to come to the Bulldogs. I trusted him and what he was doing here and it just went from there."
Salmon is one of three former Panthers preparing to line up for the Bulldogs this weekend, while captain Stephen Crichton would make it four if he makes an unexpected return from injury on Sunday.
In the winner's sheds: Isaah Yeo
The lock will line up opposite Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo in an intriguing positional battle.
Yeo revolutionised the way locks play the game and their role in a team's attack, with Salmon learning many of those skills during his time as the veteran's understudy in Penrith.
The NSW and Australian skipper has enjoyed watching his former protege flourish at his new clubs but is out to ensure Salmon has a quiet game this weekend.
"He was one of my favourites," Yeo said. "We're both very different but every Monday I'd make sure I was within earshot to hear the conversation he had about his weekend.
"He's done a wonderful job there. The biggest wrap you can give someone is the coach trusts you and it's obvious Ciro trusts him. He starts every game strong defensively and he's an ex-half so we plays his role well.
"He doesn't overcomplicate it, he does wonderful at the start of the game and then Kurt Mann comes in off the back of it. I loved playing with him, I loved being part of a squad with him and I'm happy seeing him doing well over there."
