The Australian can now also reveal how Topine’s final days at the club were orchestrated by Gould. Last October, Gould sent an email to Topine’s manager saying that he needed “to get the matter sorted so we can all move on”, and that Topine’s next payment would be his last.
The Bulldogs separately claimed the club had “no ongoing obligation to continue paying (Topine’s) Playing Fee after the expiry of 8 days personal/sick leave” because “his underlying mental and cognitive conditions were not “sustained when training or playing for the club’”.
This is disputed by Topine, who claims he suffered greatly and was deeply humiliated and that it caused him the loss of his livelihood.
While the club claimed at the time that he left the session smiling and happy, club mates and friends told The Australian that he suffered a serious mental breakdown.
He went on sick leave the following week and has not trained or played since.
Last November, the club stopped all payments to him, including for his medical bills.
The NRL has not deregistered Topine and, along with its integrity unit, has repeatedly reached out to the player since the incident.
In legal documents exchanged between the club and Topine’s lawyers, obtained by the Australian, it’s claimed Gould in effect sacked the young player last October when he sent an email to his manager saying Topine was “obviously not coming back to play with the Bulldogs” in 2024 and that they needed to “move on”.
Moving on meant that the club would cut all payments to Topine, including his ongoing medical bills. However, in the same email Gould acknowledged Topine had a need for “continuing welfare and rehab programs”.
Topine’s lawyers claim that Gould’s email was “a final and unambiguous decision” to sack the young player.
