Ciraldo names Crichton as the new Club Captain and expresses gratitude to Mahoney and Burton.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs is thrilled to announce the appointment of Stephen Crichton as the new Club Captain for the upcoming season. As we transition into the new season, the Club would like to express its deepest gratitude to Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney for their outstanding leadership and dedication as last year’s on-field Captains.
“Reed [Mahoney] and Burto [Matt Burton] have played integral roles in setting the foundation for our team’s success, both on and off the field. They did an exceptional job being thrown in the deep end last year and put their hands up during a challenging year to help guide our young squad. There were a lot of lessons and learnings out of last year and both Reed and Burto will be better from the experience of it,” Bulldogs Head Coach Cameron Ciraldo said.
This year the Bulldogs have added quality recruits to their roster, players who carry high football IQ, NRL experience and have played a lot of games. The squad now consists of a number of versatile new recruits and young, emerging talents, all whom are leaders in their own right.
Stephen Crichton, a three-time Premiership winner, has constantly exhibited leadership characteristics during the pre-season. He is known for his ability to discern energy. He knows when people are tired, short on energy, or when it’s quiet, and he can shift the mood in an instance. Ciraldo remarked, “He’s great at bringing people together, even if it’s with some annoying music, sounds, or loud noises he makes.”
“He really understands bringing positive energy to the group and he’s been such a valuable asset to us this pre-season.”
Ciraldo met with Mahoney and Burton to discuss the way forward in 2024 and the 2023 co-captains agreed, Crichton is the voice the side needs to lead from the front in 2024.
“Reed and Burto’s professionalism and dedication to this squad need to be recognized and rewarded. “They continue to be leaders in this group,” Ciraldo stated.
Crichton was recognized for his positive impact on the Club’s pre-season camp, which was primarily due to his good communication skills.
“I just want to lead with my actions,” Crichton stated.
“I’ve been at a successful club, and I’ve seen what strong leaders look like. I’ve learned a lot from the older lads that I was with, and I’ve taken a few things from each individual that I can use to my life on and off the field, as well as to my leadership.
“Going into the camp I knew straight away the boys were nervous and I knew that my communication and leadership could bring the boys up a bit and make them excited,” he said.
“I was looking at the back end of the camp, when camp was finished, and where this team could go to and I knew that they needed a leader to get them through the camp. So, I just kind of took on that role from the start.
“We have a lot of leaders that were talking through camp just as much as me, and I wasn’t trying to put that pressure just on me, I leaned on them, the other senior boys, just as much as they were leaning on myself.”
When asked what it means to be a Bulldog, Crichton reflected on his first experiences in coming to the Club:
“I just listened to a few of the boys that have been at the Club for a while about how much it means to them and it hit me. It’s a community Club, it’s a family Club. They really do care about their fans.
“I regard them as hardworking, proper dogs. Hungry. I look at past players such as Sonny Bill, Willie Mason, and James Graham. They simply did it without hesitation. They were simply hard Dogs. That’s what I view the Club as, and that’s what Ciro [Ciraldo] is attempting to establish here: you put the team first, go out there, and play your heart out. That is what being a Bulldog entails.
“I can’t wait to go out there and play for them [the Bulldogs] and for my family.”
Crichton will make his Bulldogs debut on Friday night during the NRL Pre-Season Challenge Round 2 against the Cronulla Sharks at Belmore Sports Ground (kick-off 8:00PM AEDT).