KIERSTEN DUKE: Toby Sexton Bulldogs saviour with Stephen Crichton injured and Lachlan Galvin misfiring

They may have been the talk of the town for the last seven months, but this Sunday the Bulldogs are up against it as they face an enormous clash against reigning four-time premiers Penrith.

The Bulldogs team this year are unrecognisable compared to the 2021 wooden spoon edition of the side and have rewarded their loyal fans with some outstanding games of footy.

That is until now. Injuries have decimated the team at the time where it counts most and while they’ve remained professional in the face of these challenges, it’s starting to feel like the slowly suffocating Bulldogs are truly starting to run out of air.

Amongst the number of injury concerns is Stephen Crichton. The star player left last week’s game in a moon boot and it’s since been confirmed that he’s suffered a syndesmosis, a season ending upper ankle injury.

Viliame Kikau copped an elbow to his right eye during Canterbury’s 26-18 loss to the Storm, but despite his face looking worse for wear, the second rower continued to play on.

It’s since been reported that Kikau is refusing to undergo scans despite concerns of a fractured eye socket. Slightly alarming, but it has been discussed widely amongst ex-players in the media that it’s possible to play on as long as the fracture isn’t causing any double vision.

If that doesn’t summarise how tough finals footy is then how about Toby “Sexy” Sexton battling a sternum injury to play for a club that does not want him.

The playmaker was in doubt for this weekend’s semi-final but is digging deep in preparation for war.

The departing halfback had an outstanding influence on the game against the Storm despite the Bulldogs falling short.

Following a shock call up off the bench, Sexton was thrust into the action in the 20th minute after Crichton went down. He had immediate impact, scoring from this first touch and straightening up the attack while the teen star who replaced him, Lachlan Galvin, took a backseat.

A Sexton-Galvin partnership would be one of the more unlikely combinations for a sudden-death finals game, given the drama the pair have endured this year, but fans aren’t against it, many have already been calling for Sexton to be reinstated to the No.7 jersey.

And while I’m not a Bulldogs fan, for me it makes sense for Sexton to start in the halves and push Burton to centre. Galvin played well at No. 6 and he is better suited in that role.

Another Cameron Ciraldo call that has been criticised was the decision to replace Reed Mahoney with Bailey Hayward as hooker. In round 23, Ciraldo made Hayward the starting rake, with Mahoney going back to the pines. Since then, Mahoney has played off the interchange before being dropped from the team completely.

I must admit this decision left me baffled. Hayward had a particularly bad game against Melbourne last week, missing 13 tackles, but it’s not just that singular game that’s raised eyebrows. Bulldogs have a meagre 33 per cent win rate with Bailey as hooker. With Mahoney it’s 75 per cent. It’s a shocking difference and I’m baffled with what must be going on behind the scenes, but Ciraldo is sticking to his guns and Hayward will start against the Panthers.

He can expect a ton of traffic aimed his way through the middle of the field from Penrith’s forwards.

A sellout crowd is expected at Accor this Sunday and it’s the Bulldogs boisterous fan base who could very well make the difference against the reigning champs.