Braith Anasta has made an impassioned plea for Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo not to fall into the same trap that caused Canterbury’s mid-season demise in 2025.
Speaking on NRL 360, the Canterbury premiership winner and Fox League host believes the Bulldogs are sabotaging their own season by implementing mid-game structural changes – especially around their halves pairing.
It comes after the Bulldogs’ starting five-eighth, Matt Burton, was moved to centre mid-game for the second-consecutive week in the Dogs’ loss to South Sydney last week – a move which parachuted bench player Sean O’Sullivan into the playmaking position alongside developing half Lachie Galvin.
Anasta said the mid-game restructure resembled the same moving chess pieces that effectively broke Canterbury’s competition-leading run in 2025, when the Bulldogs began shuffling player movements around playmaker Toby Sexton and hooker Reid Mahoney, who have both since left the club.
Anasta implored Ciraldo to “keep things simple” as the Dogs work out their natural attacking game.
“You’re moving Burton – one of your best players – two weeks in a row. Burton was looking good and probably their most dangerous with ball in hand, two weeks in a row,” Anasta reflected.
“If you’re a key playmaker and you’re a five-eighth for a proud club like the Bulldogs, you don’t want to be moved.
“Why are they changing everything and overcomplicating everything when they’ve got the players on the field to win the game?”.
The Bulldogs attack was once again put under the spotlight against a renewed South Sydney outfit last week. Canterbury made 17 errors and completed at a sub-standard 61 per cent en route to the 32-24 loss – their second of the season.
Losing captain and powerful outside back Stephen Crichton to a grade five AC joint shoulder injury against the Rabbitohs marks a big blow to Canterbury’s potency in attack looking ahead.
The side has struggled to gain a proper foothold offensively this season, as Burton and Galvin continue to work out their structure with ball in hand, while fullback Connor Tracey continues to evolve his attacking input from the back.
Bronson Xerri’s highly publicised demotion to NSW Cup hasn’t helped the Bulldogs’ focus between games. However, the Bulldogs are expected to close the book on that saga by naming Xerri back at centre later today for their clash against Penrith on Thursday night.
Anasta is adamant the Bulldogs have the necessary talent to win games in 2026, arguing that grit and resilience has traditionally gone hand-in-hand with superstar talent at Belmore.
“I started thinking about the teams and the Bulldogs have come so far. They’ve got their DNA back – remember years ago – they were lost,” Anasta said.
“Ciraldo has done a great job with Gus to get their DNA back. I don’t want them to lose that. We had teams where we had Sonny Bill Williams, JT (Jonathon Thurston) and Willie Tonga. But we also had Corey Hughes, Adam Perry, Craig Polla-Mounter, Steve Reardon. The Dogs are renowned for it: you don’t need to have 17 superstars.”
NRL 360 panellist Brent Read Burton remained measured about the ongoing mid-game changes, but warned his patience would be tested if it continued throughout the season. Burton is currently contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of 2027.
“I spoke with Matt Burton’s agent after the last couple of weeks and I don’t think he’s that sort of guy to wander round kicking stones. I don’t think it’s in his nature,” the Daily Telegraph journalist said.
“I don’t think he doesn’t get overly worked up about these sort of things.
“At some point his future will become a discussion point at that footy club. Later on this year potentially, around or before November 1. Logic dictates it.”
Anasta said Ciraldo’s mid-game changes would be unsettling to Burton and to the broader Canterbury squad.
Thursday night’s match-up against the unbeaten Panthers represents the biggest test yet of the Bulldogs line-up. Anasta urged Ciraldo not to overthink his roster.
“You don’t want to self-implode. You don’t want players like Burton losing their confidence and belief. It infiltrates throughout the team: ‘Am I going to get picked this week, who’s going to be the half next week?’. It happens,” Anasta said.
“It happened last year when Reid Mahoney got moved [as well as Toby Sexton]. It looks like it hasn’t improved.
“I’m not just talking about the weekend as such. I’m saying ‘let’s not over-tinker with things. I see such potential in this team and I can see them winning a comp in a couple of years. With the players they’ve got and the work they’ve done to get back to where they are. Just don’t throw it out the window by making stupid decisions – just keep it simple!”.
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