Phil Gould has no doubt Stephen Crichton will one day captain NSW, but he does not believe this year's State of Origin series is the right time for the Canterbury skipper to take over.

It comes as the Bulldogs football boss reveals he has already bought his ticket to the US as the club looks set to be announced on the NRL's Las Vegas program for 2026.

Crichton played a true captain's knock on Saturday, scoring the Bulldogs' first try and assisting their second as the team recovered from a 20-0 half-time deficit to post a 32-20 win over Canberra.

The 24-year-old's leadership has been integral to the Bulldogs' revival in the past 18 months and earned him the Captain of the Year gong at last year's Dally M Awards.

No signing in the club's modern history has been as influential, with the 2024 elimination finalists now sitting first on the ladder through 10 rounds.

"Stephen Crichton is a very special human being. He's not just a great footballer," Gould said as the Bulldogs launched their Game-Changers educational initiative with local high schools.

"You see the great footballer on the weekend, we see the human here and what effect he's had on this club."

Crichton is highly favoured to be picked at centre in NSW's first game since the return of coach Laurie Daley, who is no certainty to select last year's Origin series-winning captain Jake Trbojevic.

Penrith co-captains Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary are other leading captaincy options should Trbojevic miss the team for the Origin series opener in Brisbane on May 28.

Gould was confident Crichton's time as Blues skipper would come - one day.

"I have no doubt that he'll be a representative captain, both for his country (Samoa) and his state at some stage," Gould said.

"There are a lot of good candidates at the moment with a lot of experience, and I don't know that he needs that burden right at this point in time.

"There are certainly some leaders there for him. Certainly in the future he will captain his country and he will captain his state, I've got no doubt."

Crichton left his teammates in awe during a defeat of the Raiders that cemented the Bulldogs' spot atop the ladder.

"Even when we were down in that first half, he never looked like he was going to lose. He just gives that confidence to every other player in the team," said forward Kurtis Morrin.

The Bulldogs are one of four teams expected to be announced this week as playing in the season-opening fixtures at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium next year.

St George Illawarra, Newcastle and North Queensland are also considered frontrunners.

Bulldogs chief executive Aaron Warburton said on Tuesday that Canterbury had not yet been confirmed as playing, but Gould was more outwardly confident.

"It's big. We want to be a part of it. We're going to be a part of it. I know Aaron hasn't booked his ticket. I have. We'll wait for the announcement tomorrow,' Gould said.