‘Had no idea’: Dogs star opens up on career form — and the DCE snub behind vote of confidence

However, Sexton played just one game the following season before he was released to join the Bulldogs mid-year, where he added seven matches in his first season at Belmore.

Sexton had to fight his way into the No.7 jersey at the Bulldogs, but took his opportunity last season to play 16 games on the club’s charge to a drought-breaking finals berth.

In 2025, Sexton has started in every game for the Bulldogs and has guided the club to the top of the table unbeaten after five rounds heading into the bye in Round 6.

Being a halfback in the NRL can get overwhelming and Sexton credits Ciraldo for simplifying his game and allowing him to reach his potential as a first grade playmaker.

“He’s been massive, he just keeps my role so simple as a player and I’m pretty fortunate where I’ve got so much strike power around me and I only have to play a simple role,” Sexton told foxsports.com.au.

“If I can do that well that’s my way of helping the team out and I think himself (Ciraldo) along with all the other coaching staff have been unreal for me and I’m just loving my footy at the moment.”

 

Phil Gould and Cameron Ciraldo recently ruled the Bulldogs out of the race for Daly Cherry-Evans, which was a huge vote of confidence for their current No.7.

“To be honest I had no idea about it so it was kind of news to me, but it’s obviously a nice sign that the coach is backing me,” Sexton said.

“I’m just really enjoying my footy at the moment and we’ve got a really good playing group here and staff as well that are all helping me reach my potential and I’m really enjoying it.”

Sexton is no doubt playing down the significance of his performances, but every Bulldogs player seems to be playing with clarity at the moment and that appears to come from simplicity.

 

 

When he first came to the club Drew Hutchison was preferred in the No.7 jersey, with Sexton having to fight his way into the team and fight to keep it.

However, Sexton credits Hutchison and all the young Bulldogs playmakers for creating a competitive environment that has brought out the best in all the players.

“Drew has been great for me,” Sexton said.

“I think the whole halves group at this club have been really good.

“Drew and we’ve got a couple of young kids as well in Joey O’Neill and Mitch Woods and Cassius Tia, who all just love training together and playing on the weekends and it’s a real positive group to be around.”

 

So too Sexton’s current halves partner in Bailey Hayward, himself a halfback coming up through the junior ranks, who has forced his way into the team via a utility bench role and now wears the No.6 jersey vacated by Matt Burton’s injury.

“He’s been unreal, when I first came in he was playing No.6 in NSW Cup and was doing a really good job and then transitioned into that hooker, utility role last year and was enormous for us,” Sexton said.

“Over the last couple of weeks he’s just shown how valuable he is for us and I think a lot of people would have thought when Kikau and Burton went down, we’d be in a bit of strife.

“But I think our game’s gone to another level since then and Bailey’s done an unreal job and Josh Curran in the back row.

 

 

“We’ve been able to bring a couple of young boys in like Jack Todd, who’s done an outstanding job in the last couple of rounds and I think our depth is showing more than ever at the moment.”

With such a strong halves contingent at the club, it might make the off-contract Sexton nervous as he tries to secure a long-term extension at the Bulldogs.

However, Sexton has no intentions of leaving and just wants to let his footy do the talking on the field.

“No updates yet,” Sexton said of his future.

 

 

“I’ve got a good manager and he handles all that, so we’ll sort it out.

“I love the Bulldogs, but it’s up to my manager to sort that out and I love the way we’re going at the moment and I love this team and the coaching staff and everyone involved.”

Rather than feel threatened by the young playmakers like Woods, Sexton wants to act as a mentor and help guide them because he knows what it is like to be a young playmaker chasing your NRL dream.

“He’s been unreal, I kind of see a lot of myself in him five years ago,” Sexton said of Woods.

“He just loves footy, he loves to do all the video. He’s always kicking the ball after training and he just loves everything about rugby league league.

“He’s obviously been injured, but I think he’s getting his body right and he’s going to be a really good player for the years to come.

 

 

“I really enjoy sitting and just talking with him and training with him. He’s a real positive guy to be around.”

Critics suggest Sexton may have been rushed into first grade too soon and then discarded by the Titans, but he knows that won’t be happening to the Bulldogs young brigade, who are in good hands.

“I think that’s kind of up to Gus and Cameron to control that, but I think they’re really big on just slowing it down,” Sexton said of Woods debuting in the NRL.

 

 

“The way the game is now, young playmakers have so much pressure on them and I think the more you can just get the reps in their training and play footy on the weekend and just enjoy his footy, it’s going to be the best thing for him. But he’s got all the talent in the world, that’s for sure.”

The Bulldogs have gone from top eight hopefuls to genuine title contenders after their superb start to the season, but Sexton believes they have only scratched the surface of their potential as a team.

“It’s nice, you have a big pre-season and I think every team’s goal is to start the year off strong,” Sexton said.

“The fact we are 5-0 and going into a bye is a pretty good feeling, but we’ll do video and I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of stuff we can take from the game to work on it, but it’s definitely a nice way to start the year off.”

 

 

Now in his fourth year as coach, Ciraldo has taken time to get everybody on the same page at the Bulldogs, but the results and consistency are coming, perhaps earlier than expected.

“I think it’s just more around our belief,” Sexton said.

“We know the systems that Cameron has in place, we know they work. I think we hit the ground running first day of pre-season where everyone believed in the systems and that’s kind of taken us to a new level.

“We’re seeing over time how effective the systems are and everyone’s buying into it and it’s obviously paying off in games.”

 

 

The Bulldogs have built a new team based on mobility and speed, but Sexton denied there is no place for big bodies in the current Bulldogs line-up.

“I think we’ve got a good mixture of size and speed across the park,” Sexton said.

“You’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, Daniel Suluka-Fifita has come into the side, he’s done a really good job and he’s a big body for us, which is good.

“Then the likes of Kurt Mann, Harry Hayes and Jack Todd off the bench have been unreal for us and they’re not the biggest bodies, but the work they get through in the middle and they kick-chase and all the little effort areas, something we value a lot and they’re doing a really good job for us.”

 

 

However, Sexton concedes recruits like former Roosters star Sitili Tupouniua have given the Bulldogs a new edge on both sides of the ball.

“His foot speed coming off the bench has been unreal and you can see how he’s sitting back and some of the contact he comes up with when he’s hitting other blokes and the way he carries the ball has been honestly unreal,” Sexton said of Tupouniua.

“He’s been such a great signing for us and it’ll be nice to have him back in a couple weeks time.”

At the core of the Bulldogs resurgence is the players buying into the proud history of the club and Sexton believes the next step is to focus on building their own slice of history.

“A lot of boys have a lot of care about this club and they want to know about the past, but I think it’s also important for us to create our own future and I think both teams are in a pretty good state at the moment,” Sexton said ahead of the Good Friday clashw itht he Rabbitohs.

“Rabbits are going really well and we’ve obviously gone well as well going into the bye. Hopefully there’ll be a big crowd there and it’ll be a game you want to play in and I’m pretty excited for it.”

 

 

60,000 fans are expected to flock to Accor Stadium for the Easter Friday clash and Sexton can’t wait to play in front of as many fans as possible.

“If you can’t get up for that, I’m not sure what you can get up for to be honest,” Sexton said. “Both sides are going well and a good crowd and both teams have big fan base, so we’ll be calling all the Dogs fans to get out there on Good Friday and get amongst it.”

Despite the huge strides the Bulldogs have made to lead the NRL, Sexton warned their rivals that the players are still focused on what they can do better.

Having built a wall of defence that is proving hard to breach, Sexton now wants to help take their attack to greater heights.

“Heaps of improvement left, I think we’ll watch the game back today as a squad and go through video with all the coaches and there’s going to be a number of areas where we think we could have played better,” Sexton said.

 

 

“I thought on the weekend we weren’t that great, but I think defensively is our best point at the moment and I feel like over time just with combinations our attack will get better and better so the improvement is still in us.”

Leading the NRL in April is nice, but leading the competition is early October is still the prime goal and Sexton and the Bulldogs aren’t getting ahead of themselves.

“It’s only Round 5, so long way to go there’s 27 rounds in a year, so there’s no point going good now but no good at the back end of the year,” Sexton said.

“We’ve got to keep finding ways to improve as a team and if we can do that we’ll hopefully keep soaring in the right direction.”