Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has hit back at critics of the club amid their decision to sign Lachie Galvin mid-season.
Having led the competition for much of 2025, Canterbury went out of the finals in straight sets, losing to Melbourne and Penrith.
Their decision to recruit Galvin has been labelled a turning point in their campaign, with his arrival kickstarting a raft of changes to their spine, notably disrupting the campaigns of the in-form Toby Sexton and Reed Mahoney in order to fit the youngster into the team.
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On 100% Footy on Monday, Paul Gallen asked Gould to reflect on the controversial poaching of the playmaker from the Wests Tigers.
"I thought the Bulldogs overachieved, I think they had a great season," Gallen said.
"But I can't help but think there was a little bit of self sabotage when you went and signed Lachie Galvin."
"How do you guys feel about that decision as a club now?
"Do you think that was the right decision that you made?"
Gallen's question came after several voices in the media, most notably the Daily Telegraph's Phil Rothfield, had been critical of the Bulldogs' management of the situation.
"It suits the media narrative to say the way that you described there," Gould replied.
"None of that was in our four walls, from any players or coaches or what have you.
"We're delighted to have him on our books. We took the opportunity when it arose. It came out of the blue.
"We didn't know it was going to happen at the time but we made a decision that we wanted him in our club and that's what we did.
"Now it's led to this media barrage, and a lot of it has been childish and extremely unfair. But as I say to the boys, welcome to the Bulldogs.
"We get that stuff all the time. That's a part of being in our jersey.
"This boy was outstanding yesterday in a badly beaten side. I thought he really showed his class and he's a real player of the future.
"And that's what we bought him for - the player he is going to be, not the player he is at the moment.
"I thought he did outstandingly well coming in when he did to play as many games as he did for us under the pressure that he had, and he's never played halfback before.
"He's never played halfback in any junior football whatsoever. So it was a big ask from him and I think he's done an outstanding job."
Galvin joined the Dogs on a deal through to the end of 2028 and his arrival has already had an impact on the playing roster, with Sexton set to play for Catalans in the Super League next season, while Mahoney is due to join the Cowboys on a three-year deal.