Cameron Ciraldo, the coach of the Bulldogs, refutes any suggestion of discord with the club’s boss, Phil Gould.
Cameron Ciraldo dismissed suggestions of any discord between himself and Phil Gould, likening their dynamic to that of a father and son. The Bulldogs coach acknowledged that disagreements, particularly on matters like team selection, were natural but emphasized that these were healthy aspects of their trusting relationship.
Recent reports insinuating that NRL veteran Gould was exerting control over selection decisions echoed similar criticisms during Trent Barrett’s tenure with the Bulldogs from 2021 to 2022. Like Barrett, Ciraldo was recruited from Penrith’s coaching staff as a young coach to spearhead a revival at Canterbury.
Ciraldo acknowledged that Gould would inevitably have opinions on football matters, and while their discussions could sometimes lead to robust debate, he stressed the strength of their relationship built over many years.
Regarding team changes for the upcoming match against the Sydney Roosters, Ciraldo confirmed that he ultimately had the final say on selections. He jokingly remarked that if Gould were indeed influencing selections, he would delegate the task of informing dropped players to him.
In addressing Drew Hutchison’s debut against his former club, Ciraldo and Roosters coach Trent Robinson both affirmed Hutchison’s role as a genuine playmaker, despite Canterbury’s early-season struggles in attack. While Toby Sexton is available as an alternative, Ciraldo expressed confidence in Hutchison’s ability as their primary No.7 for the time being.
