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.”
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