LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
A defiant Cameron Ciraldo expressed his pride in the Bulldogs' season, despite their exit from the semi-finals at the hands of a "near perfect" Penrith Panthers. On Sunday afternoon, Ciraldo's team struggled significantly in the first half but managed to improve in the second, ending the match with a more respectable scoreline.
The head coach has faced criticism for his selection decisions during a challenging latter half of the season at Belmore. He reflected on the painful lessons learned in the first half while emphasizing his pride in the team's second-half performance.
"That first half is a pretty painful lesson for us in the future. We ran into a champion team that knows what it takes to win these big games. They were near perfect and we were off the mark in the first half," Ciraldo noted during the post-match press conference.
"They completed at a hundred per cent, and we made a couple of errors but didn't have the defensive intensity that was needed. Every opportunity they got, they took. That was a nightmare that first half," he added.
Despite the challenges, Ciraldo expressed deep admiration for his players, commending their resilience throughout the season. "These guys, I'm just so proud of them throughout the year when they have had to face adversity. They never stop fighting, never give in, never get torn apart. To come out in the second half and attack the game the way they did, it made me really proud," he said.