NRL 2023: Bulldogs player at centre of ‘punishment’ drama threatens legal action

The training ground drama engulfing the Bulldogs and a disgruntled player is set to dramatically escalate as scheduling disparities around the incident emerge.

Canterbury Bulldogs sponsor launch. Picture: Brett Costello

The player at the centre of a training ground dispute at the Canterbury Bulldogs has edged closer to taking legal action after a meeting between his representatives and club powerbrokers failed to resolve the issue on Thursday.

This masthead understands Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould attended the meeting with the player’s representatives, where they were told that the club would continue to offer their support as the player dealt with mental health issues.

However, it is understood the matter remains in dispute and is set to dramatically escalate in coming weeks unless a resolution is found.

The player, who has been off training for more than a month, was ordered to knee wrestle his fit teammates - believed to be more than 20 players - as part of his sanction after the coaching staff deemed he was around 10 minutes late for training.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say the player had no knowledge he was late - he has told those close to him that his schedule said to arrive at 8am for strapping and training would begin at 8.30am.

Phil Gould met with the player’s representatives.

This masthead was told that the player didn’t require strapping, so when he arrived at about 8.10am he in fact thought he was 20 minutes early for training.

It is believed he then trained for two hours before being told that he was being punished, where he was then ordered to wrestle his teammates one after the other.

This masthead was told that he wrestled every member of the squad bar those who were in rehabilitation, and finished the session barely able to pick himself up off the floor.

As he struggled to recover, this masthead has been told teammates were told to leave him on the floor and he was told he got what he deserved for being late.

Those claims have been denied by the club, although some teammates speaking on the condition of anonymity have admitted they were disturbed by what took place.

The player continued to train for the rest of the week but sources close to the dispute suggest he only did so because he feared being labelled weak. He then took mental health leave and has been undergoing counselling.

He is believed to be considering taking legal advice as his dispute with the club simmers. The Bulldogs have endured a season of bitter disappointment but they received support on Thursday from Craig Laundy, whose family business Laundy Hotels is on the front of the club’s jersey.

Laundy has been a staunch advocate for head coach Cameron Ciraldo and Gould and that support hasn’t waned in the wake of revelations that a player was forced to take a mental health break after being subject to a punishment.

Laundy declined to discuss the incident involving the player but said his family - father Arthur and brother Stu are heavily involved with the club - retained faith in the club’s hierarchy as they attempt to revive the Bulldogs’ fortunes.

“Dad, Stuart and myself are very, very confident in what the board, Gus and Cameron are trying to do,” Craig Laundy said.

“We believe it will bear fruit. The definition of insanity is trying the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.

The Laundy Group has thrown its support behind the Bulldogs. Picture: Picture: Brett Costello

“The board, Gus and Cam have a plan and that plan is around cultural change. They have Stu, dad and myself - the Laundy families full support.”

The Laundys signed a five-year mega-deal with the Bulldogs which has the potential to stretch to 10 years should they choose to go down that path.

They have had no cause to rethink that support as the club has been at the centre of unsavoury headlines in recent days around the mental health of one of their players.

There was also support for Ciraldo across the NRL on Thursday, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson among those to suggest some players actually benefit from punishments in the long run depending on the nature of the punishment.

“You set your principles and your values in place, as a club, and then you adhere to them. It’s uncomfortable,” Robinson said.

“It’s not that hard to be really clear on standards and then adhere to them. If you’re not doing that, then there is often punishment.

“There is either silent punishment in life, like we all have if we don’t follow standards. We have fines and there’s lots of things in life where punishment comes out if you don’t adhere to that.

“And it’s no different in a footy club, but it has to be elevating as well. People like punishment to be honest. Players when they don’t do the right thing and they get punished, in some ways, they enjoy that.

“But that punishment needs to be elevating in nature. It needs to be something that they learn a lesson but can also grow from.”