Rookie Bulldogs centre Paul Alamoti justifies the hype

Cameron Ciraldo says he’s not surprised by how well Paul Alamoti has handled the NRL so far and warned rivals that the rookie hadn’t even scratched the surface yet of what he could do with ball in hand.

There have been huge raps on the 19-year-old for the past few seasons, with many in the know tipping Alamoti to develop into something special when given a chance in first grade.

That hype seems justified with the young gun improving each week, with Alamoti setting up two tries and running for 187m in Sunday’s 26-22 win over the Tigers.

The centre hasn’t scored a try yet but showed how selfless he is by linking up with the much faster Josh Addo-Carr for two spectacular four-pointers that had the Belmore faithful rocking.

“It’s been great for a rookie, but I’m not surprised,” Ciraldo said.

“On day one when I rocked up here, it was pretty obvious that he’s something special. I’ve watched him over the past couple of years with excitement and knew he was going to be a good player.

“I’m not surprised by the way that he’s playing and I actually think he’s got a lot more in him, but we just haven’t seen all of that.

“I love how he’s building his game. He’s patient with what he’s doing, and he’s not chancing his arm with different things. When he finds his way, he’s going to be really hard to stop.”

The injection of youth has been crucial for Canterbury’s fast start, but the veterans haven’t been too shabby, with a new recruit proving to be one of the buys of the year.

Dummy-half has long been an issue for the Bulldogs, but those worries are long gone with Reed Mahoney coming across from Parramatta and slotting in seamlessly.

His combination with fellow co-captain Matt Burton is coming along nicely, with the pair linking up for a try, while his leadership and hard work are setting the standard for a club that has dealt with years of disappointment.

“He was brilliant and he’s been brilliant every week. He’s been brilliant since day one when he walked into this joint,” Ciraldo said.

“He’s a natural leader and he’s the sort of guy you want to go to war with.”