The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ premiership dream came to a crashing halt on Sunday, but club supremo Phil Gould has wasted no time in hitting back at claims the team sabotaged its own campaign.
The Bulldogs’ 2025 season ended at the hands of the powerhouse Penrith Panthers, who stamped their authority early by racing to a 36-8 lead in the first half. Despite a late rally, Canterbury went down 46-26, bowing out of the finals in straight sets after once looking like a genuine premiership contender.
While disappointment was written across the faces of players and fans alike, the bigger storm erupted off the field when the club’s mid-season recruitment and selections came under heavy scrutiny. The introduction of Lachlan Galvin into the starting line-up became a focal point of debate, especially after the side’s dramatic late-season slump.
On Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, former Sharks premiership winner Paul Gallen directly asked Gould whether the move amounted to “self-sabotage.” Gould was quick to fire back, blasting the accusation as nothing more than media spin.
“It suits the media narrative to describe it the way you did just then. None of that was in our four walls. None of it anywhere from any players or any coaches,” Gould said.
“We’re delighted to have him on our books. We took the opportunity when it arose. It came out of the blue.
“We didn’t know it was going to happen at the time but we made a decision that we wanted him in our club and that’s what we did.
“Now it’s led to this media barrage, and a lot of it has been childish and extremely unfair. But as I say to the boys, welcome to the Bulldogs.
“We get that stuff all the time. That’s a part of being in our jersey.”
Despite the heavy loss, Gould highlighted Galvin’s resilience and potential, stressing that the 18-year-old showed flashes of brilliance under immense pressure.
“This boy was outstanding. Yesterday in a badly beaten side, I thought he really showed his class and he’s a real player of the future.
“And that’s what we bought him for — the player he is going to be, not the player he is at the moment. I thought he did outstandingly well coming in when he did to play as many games as he did for us under the pressure that he had, and he’s never played halfback before.
“He’s never played halfback in any junior football whatsoever. So it was a big ask from him and I think he’s done an outstanding job.”
Selection Storm
Galvin’s signing wasn’t the only flashpoint for critics. Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo also raised eyebrows when they dropped hooker Reed Mahoney and halfback Toby Sexton, a combination that had previously brought the side success.
When Hall of Famer Cameron Smith asked Gould why the Bulldogs abandoned a winning formula, Gould kept his cards close to his chest.
“We don’t need to discuss that publicly,” he said.
“But if you go back and look at our draw after 15 rounds we led the competition.
“We’d had three byes — I think we played the Titans twice, Parramatta twice, St George twice, South Sydney twice. We had the big games to come towards the back end of the season.
“We also had a bigger representation in Origin this year that we didn’t expect. Maxy King and Kurt Mann and those fellas played Origin. Plus other fellas were taken into camp as 18th man and others went into training.
“So it was a disruptive period that we haven’t experienced for a number of years.”
Gould reiterated that decisions such as introducing Galvin were made with the long-term picture in mind.
“So we decided to do that,” he said.
“I don’t want to talk about Toby and Reed because they’ve been wonderful for our club. They’ve been great kids. I don’t want to talk about publicly where it is.
“But every decision that was made in there was made by people who deal with these players every day, who coach them every day, and know the players extremely well.
“One thing I know about coaches — they like to win... and that’s why they pick the teams the way that they do.
“I trust the people that deal with them all day, every day. Not the people that take potshots from the media.
“They don’t have any influence over what we do.”
Looking to the Future
Although the Bulldogs’ season ended on a sour note, Gould urged supporters to see the campaign as a valuable learning curve. Facing two of the NRL’s best teams in the finals gave Canterbury a benchmark for what it takes to compete at the top level.
“It’s something they’ll be able to lean on in the future and let us know where we stand,” he said.
Recruitment has already begun for 2026, with Newcastle’s Leo Thompson set to bolster the forward pack and ex-Sharks back Kade Dykes offering depth. But Gould made clear the Bulldogs’ strategy would also involve nurturing homegrown talent.
“We’ve got young Mitch Woods on contract for three years,” he said.
“We’re really timing our run with him. I think he’ll debut next year. We’ve been cautious with him coming through and he’s had a good season in the lower grades.
“At the start of next year he will get a chance.”
For all the speculation and criticism surrounding the club, Gould’s message remained firm: the Bulldogs are building for the long term. Short-term turbulence, he argued, should not be mistaken for disarray.
While the straight-sets exit stung, the club’s supremo believes Canterbury’s young core and recruitment strategy are laying the foundation for a stronger and more consistent future. Whether critics agree or not, Gould appears unshaken in his belief that the Bulldogs are on the right track.