‘Coach’s Wishes: Phil Gould Reveals Insights on Bronson Xerri’s Omission Following Crichton Injury’

Phil Gould, the Canterbury Bulldogs’ football chief, has defied coach Cameron Ciraldo’s preferences by clarifying why Bronson Xerri was not brought on after Stephen Crichton was injured.

In Friday’s match against South Sydney, Crichton, an Origin representative, sustained an injury to his AC joint during the second half and was substituted by Sean O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan moved into the halves while Matt Burton took over at centre, a switch that commentator Cameron Smith labelled “unusual” during Nine’s broadcast.

On Nine’s 100% Footy, Gould revealed that the initial plan involved getting Crichton off the pitch and administering a painkilling injection before returning him to play.

However, the true extent of Crichton’s injury was apparent once he reached the dressing rooms.

“When he took his shirt off, his collarbone was noticeably elevated on his shoulder, indicating it’s going to take a while to heal,” Gould commented.

When Paul Gallen inquired why Xerri wasn’t fielded, Gould said, “You’re going to get me in trouble, Gal.”

“The coach didn’t want me to share this, but here goes,” he added.

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Gould reiterated that the medical team had hoped to have Crichton back on the field shortly, explaining that confusion arose from the six-man bench rule.

“Cameron (Ciraldo) had already used three players—(Lipoi) Hopoi, (Sitili) Tupouniua, and (Kurt) Mann. Sean O’Sullivan was on hand to cover the halves and hooker role. If he brought Bronson on, he couldn’t substitute Sean if either of those players was injured,” he clarified.

“He received word that Crichton would be back in five minutes and thought, ‘I’m not sending Bronson out for just five minutes. Instead, I’ll put Sean on, and then Sean can give Bailey Hayward a breather until Crichton returns.’

“Five minutes later, we received a message that Crichton wasn’t returning, but the replacement had already been made. During the press conference, he explained that Sean was needed for his leadership skills and didn’t want to contradict the medical staff.

“I told him, ‘you’re not going to offend the doctor; he doesn’t have X-ray vision. You made a decision in the heat of the moment, and circumstances can change quickly; it’s too bad.’ That’s why Bronson didn’t come on,” he added.

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Gould further elaborated that they had to make quick decisions, and the situation negatively impacted them as Hayward couldn’t take a rest.

Additionally, the Bulldogs chief confirmed that Xerri will play on Thursday night against Penrith.

“Bronson has been exceptional; he’s been absolutely outstanding … he was always going to seize this opportunity again,” Gould expressed.

This comes amid rumours suggesting that Xerri is unhappy with his exclusion by Ciraldo and could be seeking a release.