Updated May 21, 2026 — 4:54pm,first published 1:31pmIs Lachlan Galvin a long-term halfback?It’s a topic that has divided the rugby league world, let alone Canterbury fans. It was a question that has just been put to the powers that be at Belmore in a bid to solve the conundrum.Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould, a guest on James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast episode that was released at 8am on Thursday, said he is not.“People say, ‘Is he a halfback or not?’ Well, I don’t know any 20-year-old who is a first-grade halfback,” Gould said.“I don’t think he’s a long-term halfback. I don’t think we ever had the intention of him being a long-term halfback.”Four hours later, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo fronted his pre-match media conference ahead of Friday’s clash against Melbourne. Told of Gould’s comments, Ciraldo was asked where he thought Galvin would end up.Lachlan Galvin has polarised Bulldogs fans.Getty Images“I haven’t seen that part of [Gould’s podcast], but he’s the best halfback we’ve got right now,” Ciraldo replied. “He’s got an opportunity to be a halfback for as long as he wants to be. The way he’s tracking right now is pretty good when you consider what he’s had to go through off the field, what he’s had to learn on the field.“I don’t think you see a lot of 20-year-old halfbacks doing some of the things that Lachlan Galvin is able to do right now.“When I say we’ve got some tough people in this group and in this club, he’s right at the top of the list. He’s played injured at times since he’s got to this club, but he’s also had to deal with way too much attention than what a 20-year-old should have to deal with, and he has passed with flying colours.“So what gives me great confidence in Lachie’s ability to be a great Bulldog into the future is how he’s dealt with that over the last six months. And if he keeps learning the way he’s learning, there’s no reason he can’t be a long-term number 7.”There you go, hopefully that clears things up.Of all the issues surrounding the blue-and-whites during their five-game losing streak - their inability to adapt to rule changes, whether hooker Bailey Hayward and fullback Connor Tracey deserve their spine spots, or the deterioration of a defence that was the NRL’s best at the corresponding time last season - it inevitably comes back to Galvin.Would the Bulldogs be better off if he was in the No.6 jersey? At lock? Not at the club at all?These are the musings of frustrated fans venting on the echo chamber that is social media. Gould, who recently scaled back his own activity on X, has a knack of avoiding questions about his own club during his many media commitments.Lachlan Galvin has his pants pulled down while trying to score a consolation try for Canterbury.Getty ImagesHowever, that changed this week, beginning with Monday’s appearance on 100% Footy. The former premiership-winning coach then dedicated seven minutes to the Bulldogs on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast. And then “Gus” spent an hour-and-a-half speaking with Graham, a former Bulldogs player who is on their payroll as an ambassador.To Graham’s credit, he didn’t shirk any of the tough questions. Nor did he let Gould - one of the shrewdest media manipulators of them all - off the hook until he had answered them to his satisfaction.The key takeaways? Matt Burton may need to switch from five-eighth if he is to remain a Bulldog. Mitch Woods, the talented but injury-prone halfback, probably won’t make his NRL debut this year. And then there was a staunch defence of assistant Adam O’Brien, brought in to oversee Canterbury’s attack, despite being sacked by the Knights after earning last year’s wooden spoon.Yet perhaps most intriguing was Gould claiming Galvin’s arrival from Wests Tigers didn’t force out fan favourites Reed Mahoney and Toby Sexton.Former Bulldog Reed Mahoney celebrates a Cowboys try against his old club earlier this season.Getty Images“These things with Mahoney and Sexton were in the pipeline for some months before Galvin even became available,” Gould said.“The Galvin thing had nothing to instigate the Mahoney and Sexton decisions, I can tell you that emphatically.”Regardless, speculation that the Bulldogs aren’t happy with their spine was sparked after meetings with Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf, who subsequently signed with the Dragons, and Titans hooker Sam Verrills.“Every player that comes off contract, there’s got to be a discussion around if it’s in the best long-term interest of your club,” Ciraldo said.“We wouldn’t be doing our job or our due diligence if we weren’t looking at all those options. But we need to add some depth to our squad.”Gould was photographed meeting with Verrills, and the picture quickly made its way into the media. Asked if the publication of such photos could have a detrimental effect on players such as incumbent hooker Hayward, Ciraldo said: “Anything can potentially have an effect on someone.“People making up rumours can have an effect on someone. People writing ridiculous social media comments can have an effect on someone. But in terms of whether that has an effect on Bailey, I don’t think so.Titans hooker Sam Verrills (centre) with manager Clinton Schifcofske (left) meeting with Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould (right) at Brisbane last week.“Bailey knows how much we love him, he knows how much we believe in him, and we know that he’s gonna be a great Bulldog player long-term.”The club is saying the same thing about Galvin. In which position that will be, is anyone’s guess.From our partners