‘How long do they hold the kid back?’: Galvin back to bench as Bulldogs face awkward dilemma

The decision to move Lachlan Galvin back to the bench has the potential to unsettle him and the other playmakers in the Bulldogs team ahead of their blockbuster clash with the Panthers.

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Galvin started the Bulldogs’ 24-18 win over the Rabbitohs before the bye at five-eighth alongside Toby Sexton at halfback.

However, the return of Matt Burton from Blues’ Origin duties sees him return to the No.6 jersey and Galvin has been relegated back to the bench where he played his first game for the club in a win over the Eels.

Braith Anasta believes the Bulldogs are in an awkward position where they are almost waiting for someone to fail to give Galvin a full-time starting spot.

“Galvin has been named at No.17, so how do they play him?” Anasta asked on NRL 360.

“Do they play him like they played him last time? It worked last time, so I can’t imagine them playing him any differently unless there is injuries or Sexton or Burton struggles badly.

“But I would assume because it worked so well last time with that dynamic, they would stick to that.”

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: Lachlan Galvin of the Bulldogs warms up during the round 15 NRL match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium, on June 15, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

However, Gorden Tallis questioned how long the Bulldogs can hold Galvin back from being a full-time playmaker for the club.

“How long do they keep doing this for and holding the kid back?” Tallis asked.

Paul Crawley believes Sexton is proving stubborn and is fighting hard to keep the No.7 jersey for the rest of the season after guiding the club to the top of the table, but Galvin’s designs on the halfback spot appear inevitable.

“Sexton was so good when he partnered up with him last time when they played Parramatta and then the following week, Sexton had his best first half of football since being there,” Crawley said.

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“But Galvin has also looked so good, so at some stage it has got to go one way and you would think that the long-term answer is going to be Galvin at No.7.

“But Sexton to his credit is creating a fight for it.”

Anasta pointed out that Sexton is not the only player looking over his shoulder with Galvin on the bench.

“What about Reed Mahoney? He wasn’t too happy a few weeks ago, so what happens to him?” Anasta asked.

Crawley believes Mahoney and Sexton are in the same boat in that they both have to make sacrifices in order to get Galvin on the field.

“It’s the same with Sexton, how do they play it this time?” Crawley said.

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“If Galvin comes on does Sexton move to dummyhalf and does Mahoney go back to the dressing room to kick some more cans? I don’t know. How does he handle it?”

However, Andrew Webster believes the Bulldogs have emulated the Panthers in building both culture and chemistry at the club and that will hold them in good stead where other clubs might crumble in the same situation.

“Reed Mahoney looks a lot happier than he did after that game, but I think Gus always said Penrith’s success wasn’t so much the culture of the club, but the chemistry within the team,” Webster said.

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“That’s been the success of Penrith in many ways. I think it says a lot about Mahoney’s competitiveness the way he reacted against Parramatta.

“But the way that Sexton has embraced it and if you didn’t have that then it could have been really toxic. But the way it is shaped it seems like it is going to work for them.”

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