The ladder-leading Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs were upset Thursday, as they fell to the Penrith Panthers by just two points.
Following two straight victories, the Bulldogs lead for a large portion of the contest, before some late game heroics from Nathan Cleary secured Penrith's fourth-straight win.
But one of the defining moments of the game came when controversial young star Lachlan Galvin entered the contest for the Bulldogs, leading to criticism from two legends of the game.
Legendary NRL duo criticise Bulldogs for Galvin decision
Two NRL legends have criticised the Bulldogs for their handling of Lachlan Galvin's minutes in the team's loss to Penrith, saying that coach Cameron Ciraldo needs to establish consistency in how he utilises the young star.
Matty Johns questioned his impact on the final stages of the game, that saw the Panthers claim the win after a stunning charge down try from Nathan Cleary.
"It's hard when you change a winning spine," Johns said after the game.
"They'll have to figure out what to do with Galvin moving forward."
Cooper Cronk also pointed out that this change was responsible for Cleary's eventual game-winner, as Galvin's lack of kicking ability narrowed things for the Bulldogs.
"He is one of the smartest players in our game, Nathan Cleary, he realised Matt Burton is the No.1 kicker. Normally he does it with a pass or a kick, but this time he did it with his footy IQ," Cronk said.
"The reason why he was able to isolate Matt Burton is when Galvin came onto the field, Burton becomes the main kicker out of their own end. It meant Cleary could get a head-start and pressure him."
But Ciraldo has defended his decision, saying he liked what he saw from the change despite the result.
"I thought it worked pretty well tonight," he said in his press conference.
"I like how it is working at the moment. Reed rips in, gets his work done, works himself to a standstill. Toby going in there and shoring up the ruck and providing good service, and then Lachy comes on and can ask really good questions, which he did.
"I'm very happy with how it's going at the moment, don't see any reason to change it."
The Bulldogs still sit atop the NRL ladder following the loss to Penrith, with a clash against the Brisbane Broncos up next for the team.