‘Critta’ frittered away in the centres
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo must consider shifting his $3.3 million star recruit – before another season of Belmore promise slips away.
Stephen Crichton, on an annual contract worth $800,000, isn’t seeing enough ball on the Bulldogs’ righthand side.
He had 13 runs for 113 metres against Melbourne on Friday night.
Crichton desperately needs more involvement and would be far more potent from fullback.
Connor Tracey did a grand job from fullback against the
Storm – 17 runs for 126m, three tackle busts and a linebreak assist – but Crichton is the club’s gun, a player who must get the ball more.
It would be incredibly tough on Blake Taaffe, who has performed admirably at fullback and only missed the Melbourne game after he was concussed from the high shot that resulted in the Sydney Roosters’ Dominic Young being sent off and suspended.
Crichton and the ever-improving Bronson Xerri are the Bulldogs’ best centre options, but even NRL great Cameron Smith questioned last month: “Stephen Crichton, I just wonder whether he really wants to be playing in the centres in this football team or whether he wants to wear the No.1.”
Canberra legend Laurie Daley also said: “They’ve got to find a way to get more out of Stephen Crichton so therefore you might have to look at pushing him back to fullback to get him more involved in the game. You can’t have him sitting out there not getting any ball at all.”
Ciraldo will tomorrow pick his side to play Newcastle this weekend.
Canterbury is 2-4 but could easily have had four wins. Day by day, week by week, you can feel the Bulldogs are building under Ciraldo.