Captaincy looks good on Crichton

Phil Gould has declared Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton a future leader of both New South Wales and Samoa, describing the 23-year-old centre as a “very special human being” whose impact off the field now rivals his brilliance on it.

But despite Crichton's meteoric rise as a leader in his first season at Canterbury, Gould believes the timing may not be right for anointing him as Blues captain in this year's State of Origin series.

Crichton, who had never captained a side before joining the Bulldogs, has transformed a once-struggling team into a genuine contender, earning the Dally M Captain of the Year award for 2024 and guiding Canterbury to the top of the NRL ladder.

His influence stretches well beyond his playing output, with teammates crediting him for reshaping the club's standards and psyche.

“You see the great footballer on the weekend, but we see the human here and the effect he's had on this club,” Gould said, speaking with Newswire.

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“I have no doubt that he'll be a representative captain, both for his country and his state at some stage.”

Crichton's leadership has already extended into the community through his involvement in the Bulldogs' Game-Changers Program, an education initiative for high school students.

On the field, his calm presence and explosive second-half against Canberra last week turned the tide of the match, with teammate Kurtis Morrin remarking, “You just give Crichton the ball and good things happen.”

However, Gould sees no rush to burden the rising star with Origin captaincy duties just yet.

With seasoned leaders like Jake Trbojevic, Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo still in the frame, the Bulldogs football boss suggests Crichton's time will come.

“He came here to a new club when he was very young and was handed the captaincy reins, which was a big ask,” Gould said.

“The way he's taken to it and the role that he's played has influenced a lot of the players here in the way that we do our business. It influences the way that our club is perceived, and that's a special mark of the respect that he commands.

“There are a lot of good candidates with a lot of experience at the moment, so I don't know if he needs that burden right at this point in time. But certainly in the future he will captain his country and he'll captain his state.”