Ciraldo bullish on young halves leading the way in 2026

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs has told SEN that he is expecting a big season from halfback Lachlan Galvin following a strong pre-season.

Galvin joined the Bulldogs midway through the 2025 season after a controversial split with the Wests Tigers. The Bulldogs were top of the table when the 20-year-old joined the side but despite a strong home and away season, the Bulldogs failed to win a final and were bundled out in straight sets.

With a full pre-season with the team under his belt, Ciraldo is confident that the best of Galvin is yet to come.

“Lachie has been a huge benefit,” Ciraldo said on SEN 1170.

“He’s had a full pre-season with the boys and has got to understand everyone a little bit better.

“Last year, he came into a new defensive system and had to learn that as quickly as possible.

“It was a challenge for him but he did a lot of good things when he came in and Lachlan handled it all really well.

“He’s definitely looking more comfortable defending around the team and that’s certainly flowed into his attack as well.

“There are some skills that you can’t coach, particularly when we don’t have the ball and he’s shown off a lot of that in this pre-season.

“Lachlan’s looking really good and his fitness is unbelievable.

“That will be a huge asset to us this season.”

Galvin will likely play halfback in 2026 and partner with five-eighth Matt Burton. However, the Bulldogs aren’t short in quality young playmakers with 19-year-old Mitch Woods waiting in the wings.

Woods is highly touted to be the next star halfback in the NRL but despite his reputation, Ciraldo confirmed that the Bulldogs would not rush him into the side.

“Mitch is a pleasure to coach and I must say, he is the most professional 19-year-old that I have ever encountered,” Ciraldo added.

“When he does get his opportunity in first grade, we’ll be really excited about that.

“I don’t think we are taking a long-term approach with him. He had a couple of injuries last year which set him back a little bit.

“Our approach is that when he’s ready, he’ll be ready.

“All young halves mature at different times. Nathan Cleary debuted at 18 and Jarome Luai debuted when he was 20.

“They both had similar trajectories coming through the grades but one was physically ready when he was 18 and the other took a little bit longer.

“With Mitch, he’s had a lot of attention, so it looks like we are taking a long-term approach.

“When he gets his opportunity, he’ll take it with both hands.”

The Bulldogs kick off their 2026 campaign in Las Vegas against the St George Illawarra Dragons on March 1.