With season on the line, Bulldogs went back to the future. The flux capacitor didn’t work

2 weeks ago 4

Opinion

September 22, 2025 — 5.00am

It’s a funny game, rugby league.

After round 16, the Bulldogs sat on top of the ladder. Eleven wins and only two losses, if you don’t mind. The three byes didn’t hurt.

An unlikely finals appearance in 2024 was being backed up by a barnstorming 2025.

But, despite all that, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo insisted he had to look to the future.

So he broke his spine in to pieces, dumping Toby Sexton for the shiny and new Lachie Galvin at seven, and chief agitator Reed Mahoney from hooker for Bailey Hayward. The moves didn’t work, and the losses began to mount up amid continual denials anything was wrong.

Suddenly, we got to Sunday’s knockout match with the entire season on the line and Sexton was back at halfback and Mahoney started at hooker. Wonders never cease.

Viliame Kikau slumps to his knees after the defeat.

Galvin looks much more at home wearing six and, after early nerves, showed a tiny glimpse of what all the fuss might be about.

In the 18th minute, he hit Jacob Preston with a little short ball, if you will, on his own 40m line. Preston surged through, drew fullback Dylan Edwards, found Galvin on the inside and the boom youngster finished what he started, scoring to leave the Bulldogs trailing only 12-8 after a shaky start.

Unfortunately for Galvin and Ciraldo, the highlight reel for the restored early-season spine ended there.

The Bulldogs took a trip back to the future, but the flux capacitor didn’t work.

In fact, it totally malfunctioned as the Bulldogs were not just knocked out by the four-time defending premiers the Panthers, they were humiliated 46-26.

It was an astonishing result. After round 12, with Bulldogs on top, Penrith were running last – 17th on the ladder.

It’s a funny game, rugby league.

No matter how you cut it, being knocked out in straight sets from a top-four position is a bitter end to a season of much promise. After starting by winning 11 of your first 13, only to finish by losing five of your last six, is unacceptable.

The glimpse we saw from Galvin was just that – a glimpse. We’ve been told he’ll win the Bulldogs premierships. That’s light years away.

Lachlan Galvin showed glimpses of his potential, but no more.

At least he got a close up look at a bloke who wins them for fun.

Nathan Cleary’s performance was pure genius. In the old Rugby League Week days, he’d have scored a perfect ten.

Cleary was on from the first minute and, when he’s on, you’re in trouble. The difference between greatness and promise was on full display ten minutes into the second half. Shortly after Cleary kicked a 40-20, Galvin hoofed one out on the full.

Matt Burton and the Bulldogs contemplate defeat to the Panthers.

Cleary had so much time in attack you could almost see him counting numbers as he weighed up whether to kick, run, go short or throw a cut-out.

By half-time, the Panthers had scored three times in the corner through simple block plays where Cleary was too good. He also scored one of his own and another pair came from kicks. They led 36-8 at the break, the biggest halftime lead in a final in the NRL era. Wow.

It was a masterclass from the player of his generation.

While it was an all-Sydney final, Accor is the Bulldogs’ home ground and their fans owned it. All day.

There were blocks of Panthers fans at the southern end and on the eastern side, but, apart from that, there were just the odd pink or black jerseys here and there. Heaven forbid success fatigue is setting in among Panthers fans who have been without their home ground all season and had to become travellers to support their heroes.

Their caravans must have broken down yesterday as it was a sea of blue and white.

The Bulldogs walked from their hotel in the complex through a massive army of supporters at 2pm. Cars draped in Dogs flags and merchandise doof-doofed and horned their way through Homebush, which was alive thanks to the final, a basketball festival at Qudos Bank Arena and the Comic-Con Festival at the Showground, complete with thousands of wackily-dressed devotees.

Pre-game, you could sense the Dogs were up for it – just like their fans, who were deafening.

But so were Cleary and his four-time Premier teammates, who want a sixth straight grand final appearance and fifth straight title. You wouldn’t bet against them in a daytime preliminary final against the Broncos next Sunday.

It’s a funny game, rugby league.

Win one of 10 double passes to the 2025 NRL grand final. Click here for details and to enter the competition, exclusive to Sydney Morning Herald subscribers.

NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now