‘He’ll be named in the 22’: Cameron Ciraldo confirms Lachlan Galvin’s spot for Eels clash, with Toby Sexton to remain halfback

Cameron Ciraldo has confirmed new recruit Lachlan Galvin will be in the Bulldogs squad to face the Eels next Monday, but he won’t have the No.7 on his back with Toby Sexton set to keep his spot despite suggestions he was going to be dropped. Galvin has impressed the club after just two sessions and has been accepted by the playing group, with Ciraldo not ruling out a potential debut via NSW Cup amid suggestions Galvin’s inclusion could disrupt the ladder leaders’ success in 2025. “He’ll be named in the 22 today and we’ll make those decisions later in the week,” the coach said. “That (playing reserve grade) was a part of the conversation we had when we signed him. He was comfortable with it and understood that he had to come here and earn the right to be in the team. “He had no qualms about that which was awesome, and it’s a sign of his character that he’s happy to come here and play reserve grade to bide his time. “The first two training sessions he’s had here, he’s impressed us all with his attitude and his work ethic. If he continues that then he’ll be in the team before long.” The worst-kept secret in the game was confirmed last week when the Bulldogs revealed that Galvin would be joining them until the end of the 2028 season after he was officially granted a release by the Wests Tigers. The question now is where he fits into a team that has Matt Burton at five-eighth, two quality centres and Sexton, who is off contract at the end of the year. “We signed a lot of really good utility players over the last few years that no one could really understand why, and he’s got that utility value,” Ciraldo said tongue in cheek. “He can play in the halves, he’s played fullback, back row and lock through his junior career. “He’s a quality player and a quality person that we think is going to make our team better.” Sexton will remain halfback for at least one more week, while Ciraldo also confirmed Reed Mahoney would play dummy-half for the King’s Birthday blockbuster. What happens going forward with Sexton remains unclear, but his coach says the halfback can make the jersey his own if he owns the role. “Toby know he’s the master of his own destiny,” he said. “If he’s playing his best footy and he’s the best option for us to win games then he’ll be in that No.7 jersey, and that’s the same for anyone else in our squad. “If you want to play first grade, then be the best player in your position, do your job and there’s a spot for you.” Ciraldo has been impressed with how Galvin, 19, has handled his messy exit from the Tigers and suggested it was “shortsighted” for fans to question whether the club actually needed him. The Bulldogs coach also dispelled any theories that the club had handled this poorly, with Ciraldo confident that bringing a talented teenager into his high-flying squad will only be a good thing. “If something like that disrupts the playing group then the culture wasn’t as strong as we thought it was,” he said. “I’m confident that our culture is strong enough for people to come into our group and be accepted with open arms. “That’s what I’ve seen over the past couple of days.”