News Faitala-Mariner opens up on difficult season, clears the air on exactly what happened during training drama

[King Gus]

IMO: He didn't want his career ruined.

Most likely yes but no matter what happens at the club keep it in-house. You can’t trust the media with anything.

 

[Magic Burton]

Please don't say you believe what he said.

If true & he was on the outer at one stage, why didn't Gus etc investigate the matter & ask him what was going on.

I don't believe what he said. For one, he has had captains before & would know what the job entails.

He's played things down and corrected a few things like what happened with Cobbo and saying Walters can't coach. Cobbo tried to say it was taken out of context. He said it. In the RFM case. Canterbury have him for another 2 years. They failed to move him on. Cobbo is just too talented to move on.

 

[shaun5150]

RFM can go ASAP. Honestly what has he done in his time at the club? His stats aren't great. He is worse the T Rex. At least when T Rex wanted to play he played.

 

[bert]

By Martin Gabor-NCA Newswire

He was at the centre of what threatened to be an explosive confrontation, and now a Bulldogs veteran has given his version of events.

Bulldogs veteran Raymond Faitala-Mariner has cleared the air on a turbulent 2023, conceding he should have handled things differently during a messy end to the season.
Faitala-Mariner confronted coach Cameron Ciraldo about his training methods after he’d received complaints from some of his teammates.
It was a massive learning curve for the 30-year-old, who was appointed club captain at the start of the season and emerged as a pivotal bridge between the coaching staff and the club’s younger players, only to become the scapegoat and reportedly told he was unwanted by the club.

“It was a year of learning for all of us, even for myself,” he said on Wednesday.

“I’ve learnt a lot about leadership and what that looks like and what that needs to look like, not only leading by example but knowing what to say.

“I say last year was a blessing in disguise heading into this year because you know what to do and what not to do.”


Another tough year of on-field results boiled over late in the season when reports emerged that some of the players were unhappy with certain training methods that Faitala-Mariner relayed to the coaching staff.

But the veteran forward says some of the things that were reported weren’t entirely true.

“I wouldn’t say that there were issues. I don’t think there were ever any issues at the club,” he explained.


“There were a few conversations here and there with the boys, but what I should have done was nail it on the head and said ‘boys, this is who we are and we’ve just got to buy into it’.

“There is a time as a leader when you need to address those concerns or whatever the boys are going through. From my end, I just need to communicate better with the boys and let them know this is where we’re going and you might have to suck it up because this is the way it is here.

“There were no concerns or issues – some boys felt comfortable to have a chat.”

The drama led to reports that the club was trying to offload one of their most respected leaders, with claims he was told by club officials to stay away from training.

His name was in the papers most days, but crucial chats with Ciraldo and Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould smoothed things over.

“It was tough. When things did come out, I had a conversation with the club and they told me it wasn’t true, so I believed them,” he said.

“I just carried on with my process and getting things done because they gave me their word that what came out wasn’t true.

“I came in the next morning and had a conversation with Ciraldo and Gus, and they both told me it wasn’t true.

“I took their word for it.”


As for the reports he was banned from training that prompted the RLPA to get involved, Faitala-Mariner says it was a simple case of both parties getting their wires crossed.

“I think it was just a miscommunication from my end,” he said.

“We had the meeting, I had the conversation with Gus and he was straight up with me. We’ve put everything to bed and then I started the next Monday.”

Faitala-Mariner made it clear he wanted to drive the standards and be the man to help the Bulldogs turn things around, which is why he spent 10 minutes giving forthright answers to the media.

But there was one question that forced him to pause for a minute before answering why he thinks 2024 will be different for a club that’s been starved of success.

“I think having an emphasis on our core values as a Bulldog, which are family, grit and excellence,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of emphasis on that in the pre-season, and based on the way the boys are training, everyone is buying into it.

“You can sense the togetherness that’s starting to brew here.

“That’s the thing that’s been missing.

“All teams have similar moves and systems, but it’s the stuff between the ears that makes a difference.”

None of this changes the fact that he’s not a first grade footballer and hasn’t been for a long time

 

[Bulldog1966]

None of this changes the fact that he’s not a first grade footballer and hasn’t been for a long time

This..happy to be proved wrong but I'll believe he is on track for a very good season only when I see it.

 

[SexBomb]

he hasn’t shit it out yet

Scriptwriters are on strike.
They want better conditions, like being paid to start with.

 

[SexBomb]

Seriously, just shut the fuck up!!

Just block him and his like.
That is why they're getting more and more desperate.
Their captive audience is waning, just like the newspapers experienced, so they produce absolute crap in the hope that sensationalist shit brings back the crowd.

 

[SexBomb]

You post your anti-bulldog rhetoric in every possible thread in here but you aren't trying to force your view on anyone????

You are the most blocked poster on here because you force your agenda down everybody's throat, everyday in every thread.

But when you get a little back I am a waste of energy?

HYPOCRITE

Remember his dummy spit due to me daring to afford the respect of replying to his messages, because it took too much of his precious time to read and reply to them?
I do, and still hilarious enough to enjoy a chuckle at his expense.

 

[SexBomb]

Mate I used to argue the point with this bloke as well …

Believe me, it’s a waste of your time and energy trying to debate logic with him … he’s one of the worst narcissists I’ve ever come across ..

Believes he’s 100% correct and in the right at all times and everyone else is incorrect and causing problems, he’s just a sweet and innocent bloke expressing his thoughts on a forum and all the meanies pick on him .. ..

Do yourself a favour

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Is that on a mobile?
I don't have any of their post on the desktop.
Maybe browser?

 

[SexBomb]

Believe it or not I actually did that this morning.

I just realised that all his posts are the same.

Anti-bulldog
Blame the other poster
Throw a few insults
Pretend to be open minded but has a 1 point agenda
Try and take the higher road even though he starts the name calling
Change story to suit agenda

It is like he is working from a template. It is just plain boring

Welcome to the No Flanno Club.
Distinguished members also have other trolls on their ignore list.

 

[SexBomb]

Trolls need to be fed and people insist on doing it.

Thankfully, fewer and fewer are willing to do so, with most opting to just block the trio.

 

[steeliz]

Remember his dummy spit due to me daring to afford the respect of replying to his messages, because it took too much of his precious time to read and reply to them?
I do, and still hilarious enough to enjoy a chuckle at his expense.

Yeah and then after writing his manifesto complains others won't read his TROLL agenda