Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo has hit out at critics of Lachlan Galvin, labelling the intense spotlight on the teenager as "ridiculous" since his Belmore arrival.
Galvin will return to the bench for Canterbury's clash with North Queensland on Saturday night, with Matt Burton and Toby Sexton reunited in the halves.
The 19-year-old's mid-season move from Wests Tigers has been the biggest story of the NRL season, with Canterbury dropping from first to third since his arrival.
The playmaker's performance in last week's loss to Brisbane was heavily scrutinised after Galvin started in the halves and Burton went to centre.
Ciraldo conceded on Thursday that Galvin would learn a lot from that match, but insisted the teenage prodigy was not alone in having an off night.
Regardless, the Bulldogs coach made clear his frustration over the way his star recruit had been scrutinised since his arrival last month.
"Some of the commentary around him is ridiculous. He is a 19-year-old kid who has changed clubs mid year, and looking to improve his football," Ciraldo said.
"Our job internally is to help him through that process, guide him and protect him. He is doing a great job of turning up and trying to get better every day.
"I don't know why there is so much attention on him or why it comes to that.
"We had a number of players last week who didn't play the way they would have like to have played. And unfortunately Lachy was in the headlines for a lot of that."
Ciraldo said he had instructed Galvin and other players to stay off their phones, and not watch football talk shows that he labelled as "reality TV".
"We're educating them to stay away from it as well," Ciraldo said.
"There were a few errors we would have liked to take back last week, but they are learnings for him as well.
"And while they were pressure passes, a couple should have been caught as well.
"He is learning every day, putting in the hard work, he is the first one here and last to leave. And whenever you are doing that, good things are going to happen."
Galvin is again expected to come on in the halves for the Bulldogs in Townsville, with No.7 Sexton having shifted to dummy-half in recent weeks in that scenario.
Sexton has already signed with Catalans in the English Super League for next year, while hooker Reed Mahoney will be released to North Queensland at season's end.
"Every club and every team has players leaving every year," Ciraldo said.
"A couple of years ago players were leaving here without much of a footballing future ahead of them.
"Two years on we have guys leaving now for better opportunities and financial offers, and that makes us happy."