‘It’s madness’: Gus’ under fire over ‘bizarre’ Bulldogs roster shake-up as legend makes shock Galvin call

Questions have been raised over the Bulldogs’ roster management following confirmation of Reed Mahoney joining the Cowboys and Lachlan Galvin’s mid-season arrival.

Galvin joined the club from the Tigers on a big money deal while starting halfback Toby Sexton and Mahoney have been forced out the door, with the pair signing deals with other clubs for 2026.

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The Bulldogs were on top of the ladder from Round 4 to Round 16 but have lost three of their past five games to drop down to third.

Daily Telegraph Journalist Phil Rothfield penned a column for The Daily Telegraph Monday morningwhere he declared Bulldogs seemed to be “a little bit all over the shop”.

He also questioned Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould’s lack of recent success, pointing to instances in the past where he’s made surprising roster management decisions involving big name players.

“I’ve pointed out it’s been 23 years he’s been out of the winners circle. The last time was when he was the head of football in 2002. Having said that, I think he’s done a very good at the Bulldogs like he did at Penrith,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“There’s no doubt Gus can set up clubs to win a premiership but the jury is out whether he can actually deliver one or if he has to leave and then they can enjoy the success.

“Having two key spine players announce they’re going midway through the year for a side that was leading the competition two weeks ago I think is madness.

“Gus has done this previously at Penrith. He brought in Jamie Soward, cut him early. He brought in Trent Merrin and said he’d be the next NSW captain but cut him early. James Maloney, cut him early.

“I just think there’s a lot of confusion at the Bulldogs. A lot of chopping and changing, moving Matt Burton to the centres, one wing to the other.

“One week Mahoney plays 50 minutes and get hooked then another he plays the full 80. Bailey Hayward starts one week and then gets benched. So does Josh Curran

“They are a little bit all over the shop. They’re struggling to find the right position in the side for Galvin.

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The young half has shown glimpses of brilliance in his four games at the Bulldogs but there have been some obvious growing pains.

The fact the Bulldogs halves weren’t able to close out the game against the Broncos despite leading 18-0 with 20 minutes to go is worrying.

Galvin and the Bulldogs’ indifferent form led NRL legend Gorden Tallis to opine that it would have been better for the club to sign the young gun at the end of the season.

“You reckon in a perfect world the Dogs would have wanted him at the end of the season so he had a full pre-season?” Tallis said on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin.

“Because it looks like to me that they’re trying to please the kid.”

Rothfield noted those comments from Tallis, believing Galvin is under further pressure given he’s joined a ladder-leading team mid-season.

“It probably in hindsight it might have been a little bit smarter to bring Galvin in at the end of the season and leave him at the Wests Tigers (for 2025),” Rothfield said.

“Give him a full off-season – three or four months – with the rest of the club and it might have been easier for him to fit in with this side.

“There is no player under the blowtorch as much as Lachlan Galvin is. Each and every week he runs onto the field, we don’t just watch the game we’re looking to see where he is. That’s a lot of pressure on a young fella.”

Should the Bulldogs have waited until after the season ended to bring in Lachlan Galvin? Source: Supplied

Even though Galvin joined on a big money contract worth over $2 million, that shouldn’t mean he is guaranteed a place in the best 17 according to Fox League’s Greg Alexander.

The Panthers legend said that at the moment, he can’t find a space for Galvin in the Bulldogs 17.

“What would your Bulldogs side be in Round 27. Let’s fast forward two rounds,” Alexander said on Fox League.

“My answer is Sexton at halfback, Burton at five-eighth and Bailey Hayward on the bench. I don’t know if I could find a spot for Lachlan Galvin.

“You probably can carry Galvin and Hayward but because Hayward does such a good job in the halves, he can play at the back of the scrum.

“At the moment, and how they are in their development of their career, I have Hayward ahead of Galvin because Hayward covers dummy-half and the halves. Not just covers the halves, but does a damn good job in the halves.”

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