Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has been roasted on social media following a diabolical slip of the tongue ahead of his team’s defeat against the Cowboys on Friday night at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

Canterbury led 6-0 following an early try to halfback Lachlan Galvin, but that was one of few highlights for the hosts, who slumped to a 28-12 defeat.

Speaking before the round nine NRL clash against North Queensland, Ciraldo’s faux pas was so bad it was almost comical.

Talking about Bailey Hayward’s on-field minutes, Ciraldo meant to say the hooker was carrying a few niggles – but dropped the N-word instead.

The Bulldogs coach was professional and moved past the gaffe quickly, but it was still bizarrely published in full on the club’s website and then shared through social media.

Some footy fans thought it was hilarious.

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Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has been roasted on social media following a diabolical slip of the tongue ahead of his team’s defeat against the Cowboys on Friday night at Accor Stadium

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Talking about Bailey Hayward’s on-field minutes, Ciraldo meant to say the hooker was carrying a few niggles – but uttered a different word entirely

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Cameron Ciraldo is pictured left with his wife Kim Ciraldo next to ex-NRL star Waqa Blake and his wife Jess Blake

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Many footy fans couldn’t believe what they heard on social media – pictured: a GIF mocking Ciraldo

This fan spoke for many when he said ‘That’s a bad one, he said the whole thing’

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‘Stop the count. This one will never be beaten,’ said a third after watching Ciraldo’s diabolical choice of words

‘Cam Ciraldo dropping the N-Bomb on his press conference has me crying of laughter,’ one posted.

Others were shocked and questioned how it got released for public consumption.

‘Safe to say we’ll be cancelling our memberships after this,’ one fan fumed.

The Bulldogs have been contacted for comment.

Many footy fans couldn’t believe what they heard when the video landed on social media.

‘What has Ciraldo been smoking?’ asked one supporter.

‘Always think carefully before using the word niggles. Little niggles can sound very different,’ said another.

‘Stop the count. This one will never be beaten,’ offered a third.

In the post-game press conference, Ciraldo acknowledged his team’s usual trademark defence was poor.

‘The way we finished…  to let in three really soft tries is not good enough,’ he said.

‘We’re in a bit of a spot at the moment where clearly we are a bit low on confidence.’

The only sour note for the away side was the loss of back-rower Jeremiah Nanai, who suffered a recurrence of a shoulder issue which required off-season surgery.

‘He (Nanai) is going to get a scan but it’s really disappointing for him because he’s worked super hard… it’s not great,’ coach Todd Payten said.

Canterbury sit in 12th spot on the NRL ladder in what has been an inconsistent season to date.

They next take on the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on May 7.