In an exciting announcement, Canterbury-Bankstown has revealed that star recruit Stephen Crichton will be taking the reins as captain for the Bulldogs in his debut season with the club. This decision follows the co-captaincy of Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton in 2023.
Crichton, a three-time premiership winner, is set to lead the Bulldogs onto the field for the first time in their Pre-Season Challenge clash against the Sharks on Friday night. Reflecting on his new role, Crichton expressed his intent to draw from his experiences at his former club Penrith, learning from seasoned leaders to guide both on and off the field.
“I’ve been at a successful club, I’ve seen what good leaders look like and I’ve learnt a lot from the older boys that I was with,” said Crichton. “I’ve taken a few things from each person that I can implement in my life on and off the field, as well as in being a leader.”
Cameron Ciraldo, Bulldogs coach and former assistant-coach of Crichton, praised the 23-year-old’s leadership qualities, emphasizing his ability to uplift team morale and foster a positive environment.
“Stephen is a really good reader of energy. He understands when people are a little bit flat, low on energy, and when it’s a bit quiet, and he can change the mood in an instant,” said Ciraldo. “He really understands bringing positive energy to the group and he’s been such a valuable asset to us this pre-season.”
Following discussions with Mahoney and Burton, Ciraldo affirmed that both players acknowledged Crichton’s suitability for the captaincy role in 2024, highlighting their professionalism and ongoing leadership within the team.
“Reed and Burto’s professionalism and commitment to this team needs to be acknowledged and commended and they very much remain leaders in this group,” added Ciraldo.