Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo insists Josh Addo-Carr’s cocaine saga did not distract the Bulldogs from their short-lived NRL finals campaign.
But as the curtain comes down on the feel-good story of the NRL season, Ciraldo is unsure whether his side’s resurgent campaign can truly be considered successful.
The Bulldogs bowed out of the finals on Sunday afternoon, victims of a 24-22 defeat from fast-finishing Manly in the second elimination final at Accor Stadium.
The result came at the end of a tumultuous 10 days for Canterbury, whose star winger Addo-Carr stood himself down from the game for fear of his presence sparking a media circus.
After further analysis of his roadside sample confirmed a positive reading for cocaine, Addo-Carr watched from afar as the Bulldogs controlled large stretches of the game, before falling victim to a late match-winner from Tolu Koula.
But Ciraldo did not believe the saga distracted from his side’s preparations.
‘It’s hard to say whether it had an impact or not, (but) I thought we handled it great. Having a leader like Gus (head of football Phil Gould) was awesome for me and the playing group,’ Ciraldo said.
‘You always look at the playing group and think ‘How is it affecting them?’ They came to me and said, ‘This is not a distraction for us. We’re right to go.’ And it showed out there tonight how well they prepared all week.
‘It’s a credit to these players and our leaders that they were able to shift any focus on that into getting the job done tonight.’
Ciraldo was also pleased with Addo-Carr’s replacement on the right wing, Jeral Skelton, who helped the Bulldogs take a 10-point lead in the second half with a try in the corner.
It had been only Skelton’s eighth NRL game, and last before joining Wests Tigers next season.
‘Jeral has done well for us every time he has taken to the field,’ Ciraldo said.
Widely tipped in the pre-season for another bottom-four finish, the Bulldogs instead surged to their first finals appearance since 2016 under second-year coach Ciraldo.
New captain Stephen Crichton firmed as the buy of the season, and perhaps the most important signing in Canterbury’s modern history, while Bronson Xerri excelled on return from his drug ban.
Kurt Mann, Jacob Kiraz, Toby Sexton and Connor Tracey all enjoyed career-best seasons as the Bulldogs revamped their defence and captured the hearts of neutral fans across the league.
But after falling short of a top-four finish and then exiting finals in the first week, Ciraldo was unsure whether he could consider the season as successful for the long-time NRL whipping boys.
‘Can you ask me that tomorrow?,’ he quipped.
‘What we’ve done culturally is a massive success.
‘With 10 new recruits this year and what they’ve been able to bring to our program, what our young guys coming through the program changed the work ethic, changed the connection.
‘Such an amazing turnaround by a lot of great people who worked hard. The season is a success in a lot of ways, but it is hard to think about it right now.’
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