It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world. 

When the dust had settled on Stephen Crichton’s drop-goal heroics in Las Vegas, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ actual form revealed itself, one thing was clear: there was something wrong in the halves. Moving on Toby Sexton and relying on an Isaac Moses special to bring Lachlan Galvin seemed a curious call for Cameron Ciraldo’s side at the beginning of the year. When the then-twenty-year-old Galvin, who had played much of his junior career as a running playmaker rather than an organising halfback, struggled to get settled in the blue and white number 7 jersey, questions were understandably raised about his ability to lead the attack.

The idea that Galvin, alongside Matt Burton in the halves, could share the creative responsibilities ran into roadblocks when it appeared that both were simply inclined to run the ball rather than organise and distribute. Galvin, as the high-profile acquisition despite his age, took much of the flak, as pundits and analysts wondered whether he was good enough to be the defining figure of the Bulldogs attack for the foreseeable future. Debates stretched from him being an out-and-out 7, to a 6 that could turn into a seven with the right people around him, all the way to him being a six and nothing more.

Ciraldo’s commitment to sticking with Galvin and instead opting to change the players and positions around him eventually began to bear fruit. The process basically consisted of moving Matt Burton in and out of the halves and playing Stephen Crichton in almost every position he could find. Eventually, when Crichton found himself at five-eighth, Galvin appeared to have been unlocked by Crichton’s role as lead-organiser and kicker, and the Bulldogs were back and challenging for the finals spots. 

Problem-solved, right?

It certainly appeared that way, until Friday night against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where the momentum they had built seemed to disappear in an eighty minute, slow, disjointed struggle against the Bunnies. The idea-less and stagnant attack that had characterised much of their early season form reared its ugly head once more. Galvin seemed to undo all of the progress he had made to become more settled with his role in recent weeks, as he looked increasingly uncomfortable with having to inspire the attack late in the set. 

Crichton, the man the Dogs have increasingly turned to in moments of need this season, was caught somewhere between trying to do everything and nothing at all for the team. His one-man chip-and-charge late in the game showed that he could, as ever, create chances from thin air. But by contrast, there was an equally ridiculous moment of desperation at the other end of the pitch. Crichton managed to (cynically) push referee Ashley Klein out of the way to get a Souths try disallowed, as the Samoan sensed that Klein would have been considered to be obstructing him and the play. 

The Rabbitohs seemed to be coming at the Bulldogs from every angle, and desperation like Crichton’s toward Klein would define much of the Canterbury side’s day. At one point, once the game was dead and buried, a certain try was prevented when a hobbling Jacob Kiraz managed to just tip a South Sydney grubber kick out of play. Of any player on the pitch, it was Kiraz that perhaps had the most difficult day. Within the space of five minutes, the winger played two offloads that had they been collected by a player in blue would have been perfect, and it was therefore a shame that they were both caught by Souths players. The image of Alex Johnston going over after collecting Kiraz’s second misguided offload attempt was enough to confirm this was not Canterbury’s day. 

It was perhaps the best illustration of the Bulldogs’ floor. Just last week, the Rabbitohs had led the Parramatta Eels 28-0 at halftime, only for them to concede 24 points in the second half and almost lose the game. However knowledge of this was not enough to inspire the Bulldogs that a late charge was possible or even worth it, as attacks became more desperate as the time ticked away. Making the eight is now slightly more difficult than they would have liked it to be come kickoff on Friday night, but the more pressing concern will be that the problems they thought they had solved have not disappeared at all. Galvin may be growing into his shirt, but he and the Bulldogs are going to need to find a way to make it work when things aren’t going their way.