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Reni Maitua on benderArticle
THE manager of errant Bulldogs player Reni Maitua last night vehemently denied the tough forward missed training yesterday because he wanted out of Belmore.
Maitua faces a showdown with coach Steve Folkes today after missing a club training session after a heavy weekend of partying.
Maitua's no-show was perceived by some ex-Bulldogs players as a show of contempt for the club, but his manager Gavin Orr ridiculed suggestions his client might be trying to follow Willie Mason out of Belmore and to a rival club.
There have been suggestions Mason orchestrated his drama with the Bulldogs to get out of his contract so he could head to Bondi.
"That's not the case with Reni," Orr said. "I have spoken to him about these suggestions before. It was said he wanted to go to Souths and that the Dragons were chasing him.
"But he has backed the club 100 per cent. Reni is happy at the Bulldogs. There were reports he wanted out but that was never the case.
"He still has two years left on his contract at the Bulldogs and he will be honouring that."
As punishment for missing yesterday morning's session, Maitua was embarrassingly dragged in yesterday afternoon to train with the Bulldogs' part-time squad.
Maitua, 25, was due at Belmore at 7am but did not appear - angering coaching staff members.
The Daily Telegraph understands Maitua's weekend bender began at Bulldogs skipper Andrew Ryan's bucks day at Woolloomooloo.
He backed up at the well-known Eastern Suburbs bar and restaurant Ravesi's on Sunday night and was spotted at Kings Cross around 4am yesterday "holding up traffic".
Despite Maitua's absence from training at Belmore, Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad denied it was another sign of player unrest.
Noad said Folkes and Maitua would talk today before any disciplinary action was taken, but he would not comment on suggestions Maitua did not attend training because he was either heavily hungover yesterday morning or still drunk from his weekend activities.
"Reni didn't train and I'm sure the coach will be speaking to him," Noad said. "It is disappointing."
Asked what penalty Maitua, a former Test player who has also represented City Origin, would face, Noad said: "That's up to the coach. I haven't spoken to Steve (Folkes) much today about this. Steve did though inform me that Reni didn't show up to training in the morning.
"It will be up to Steve. I'm sure he will address it adequately and appropriately. It's a football matter."
With Mason now at the Roosters, Bulldogs fans had hoped discipline would improve. But Maitua's actions will damage that perception.
Asked did his club have a discipline problem, Noad simply said: "No.
"Training has been great and the attitude has been fantastic."
Orr said of the likelihood of Maitua being disciplined: "I have spoken to Malcolm Noad and he has put the issue in Steve Folkes' hands. He said if there was any disciplinary issue, then action would be taken.
"Reni will speak to Steve and I will be told if any action is to be taken."
Maitua had gone to ground yesterday and could not be contacted - not even by his manager.
"I can't raise Reni. Until I speak with my client, I don't want to say too much more," Orr said.
It's the latest in a series of misdemeanours by Maitua stretching back over several seasons.
In July, Bulldogs players admitted they had drinking problems by banning themselves from Kings Cross nightclubs after several incidents, including Maitua being dragged away from bouncers.
CCTV footage at the time showed a drunken Maitua in a fiery exchange with security staff at the front door of Dragonfly, a trendy Kings Cross nightclub.
THE manager of errant Bulldogs player Reni Maitua last night vehemently denied the tough forward missed training yesterday because he wanted out of Belmore.
Maitua faces a showdown with coach Steve Folkes today after missing a club training session after a heavy weekend of partying.
Maitua's no-show was perceived by some ex-Bulldogs players as a show of contempt for the club, but his manager Gavin Orr ridiculed suggestions his client might be trying to follow Willie Mason out of Belmore and to a rival club.
There have been suggestions Mason orchestrated his drama with the Bulldogs to get out of his contract so he could head to Bondi.
"That's not the case with Reni," Orr said. "I have spoken to him about these suggestions before. It was said he wanted to go to Souths and that the Dragons were chasing him.
"But he has backed the club 100 per cent. Reni is happy at the Bulldogs. There were reports he wanted out but that was never the case.
"He still has two years left on his contract at the Bulldogs and he will be honouring that."
As punishment for missing yesterday morning's session, Maitua was embarrassingly dragged in yesterday afternoon to train with the Bulldogs' part-time squad.
Maitua, 25, was due at Belmore at 7am but did not appear - angering coaching staff members.
The Daily Telegraph understands Maitua's weekend bender began at Bulldogs skipper Andrew Ryan's bucks day at Woolloomooloo.
He backed up at the well-known Eastern Suburbs bar and restaurant Ravesi's on Sunday night and was spotted at Kings Cross around 4am yesterday "holding up traffic".
Despite Maitua's absence from training at Belmore, Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad denied it was another sign of player unrest.
Noad said Folkes and Maitua would talk today before any disciplinary action was taken, but he would not comment on suggestions Maitua did not attend training because he was either heavily hungover yesterday morning or still drunk from his weekend activities.
"Reni didn't train and I'm sure the coach will be speaking to him," Noad said. "It is disappointing."
Asked what penalty Maitua, a former Test player who has also represented City Origin, would face, Noad said: "That's up to the coach. I haven't spoken to Steve (Folkes) much today about this. Steve did though inform me that Reni didn't show up to training in the morning.
"It will be up to Steve. I'm sure he will address it adequately and appropriately. It's a football matter."
With Mason now at the Roosters, Bulldogs fans had hoped discipline would improve. But Maitua's actions will damage that perception.
Asked did his club have a discipline problem, Noad simply said: "No.
"Training has been great and the attitude has been fantastic."
Orr said of the likelihood of Maitua being disciplined: "I have spoken to Malcolm Noad and he has put the issue in Steve Folkes' hands. He said if there was any disciplinary issue, then action would be taken.
"Reni will speak to Steve and I will be told if any action is to be taken."
Maitua had gone to ground yesterday and could not be contacted - not even by his manager.
"I can't raise Reni. Until I speak with my client, I don't want to say too much more," Orr said.
It's the latest in a series of misdemeanours by Maitua stretching back over several seasons.
In July, Bulldogs players admitted they had drinking problems by banning themselves from Kings Cross nightclubs after several incidents, including Maitua being dragged away from bouncers.
CCTV footage at the time showed a drunken Maitua in a fiery exchange with security staff at the front door of Dragonfly, a trendy Kings Cross nightclub.
