'Been copping it': Coach, captain praise Lachlan Galvin after clutch game

It was a call that left league greats torn, but for Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo it was a choice that re-affirmed his confidence in the future of his team's halves pairing.

Lachlan Galvin made the most of his callup to the starting line as he replaced the departing Toby Sexton, who was dropped to the reserves against the Dragons.

Donning the No.7 jersey for the first time with the Bulldogs, Galvin managed to record 124 run metres, a match-winning try assist and a try of his own.

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But was his performance enough to stay in the No.7 jersey permanently?

"I've got to say, even before that last pass, I had seen a lot of what I liked and wanted to see," Ciraldo replied when asked that question.

Ciraldo said he was impressed by the instincts of his junior playmaker, especially in flicking a "brave" ball out to Jethro Rinakama for the match-winner.

"I'm pretty happy with it. It was a good pass," Ciraldo said.

"A 20-year-old to a 19-year-old. Those two are special kids. They have big futures ahead of them.

"But to come out tonight, I thought Lachy did some really good things with the way he was moving the ball and activating guys.

"What he did at the end with that pass I think was one of the bravest passes I've seen.

"To trust his instincts to make that play shows everyone what we've been seeing at training the last six weeks.

"Whether he made that pass or not, there was a lot of things in his game that I liked.

"There was a lot in the team's game that I liked tonight and there were also some areas that we need to be better in."

Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton said he, too, was impressed by Galvin's game.

"He has been copping it a lot ever since he has come to the club," Crichton said.

"In the biggest moment, he put that pressure on himself to (make the pass). Even if he didn't (make the pass) we would've been backing him anyways. The confidence he had to throw that pass shows the type of player that he is.

"We are happy to have him at our club."

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Despite Galvin's brilliant game and the praise he drew, Ciraldo said the young gun's critics would never be silenced.

"I don't know if you're ever going to do that," he said.

"We all know he has had pressure on him and I can't rap him for how well he has handled it.

"I'm not worried about that and hopefully he isn't either.

"I'm just really happy we got the win tonight."