Crichton Returns for Bulldogs Vs Tigers Against Wests Tigers
Stephen Crichton will play in bulldogs vs tigers at CommBank Stadium on Saturday, and Canterbury are resisting the chance to rest their captain after State of Origin. The Bulldogs need him in place after a five-game losing run and with a 4-7 record that has them 13th.
Ciraldo Keeps Crichton In
Cameron Ciraldo said Crichton would return against Wests Tigers after he logged 80 minutes in NSW's 22-20 State of Origin win on Wednesday night. Crichton had battled a shoulder issue for the last few months and was prevented from taking part in every training session in Blues camp because of it.
“I think his body's actually really good, he said from a 10-day Origin prep and resting it was like having a bye for him,” Ciraldo said. “It's always tempting to (rest him) after Origin, but we're in a position where we need to put our best foot forward and 'Critta' was adamant straight after the game that he wanted to play.”
Tuala Moves For Crichton
Enari Tuala will shift to the wing to make room for Crichton, while Jacob Kiraz remains at fullback. Marcelo Montoya drops out of the matchday squad with a knee issue, and Connor Tracey is still sidelined, so Canterbury are making changes around the spine and out wide rather than leaving the captain out.
Matt Burton had a brief cameo off the bench for NSW at Accor Stadium, and Ciraldo said, “30 grand for three minutes, he'll be pumped,” before adding that Burton's form against Melbourne last week had put him in the frame. Burton has struggled for form in 2026 amid speculation he will leave Belmore at the end of this season, but Ciraldo said, “The reality is you don't get that many opportunities every week, but he has to be involved in the game and be in the right mindset.”
Bulldogs Need Momentum
Canterbury ended the five-game losing run by beating Melbourne last week, and Ciraldo said, “We've seen some really good energy about him lately over the last three or four weeks, and we're really happy with how he played last week.” That leaves Crichton's return tied to a side still trying to settle after a rough stretch, with the Bulldogs asking their captain to back up quickly from Origin and shoulder management at the same time.
For Canterbury, Saturday is about carrying that win over Melbourne into a bigger test without losing structure around Crichton. Tuala's shift, Montoya's exit and Burton's workload all feed into the same task: getting enough quality on the field to stop the slide from becoming another streak.
