Six former Canterbury Bulldogs players to be called as witnesses in Jackson Topine court case
Six ex-Bulldogs players are set to be called upon to provide evidence in Jackson Topine’s multimillion-dollar legal fight against his former club.
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Tevita Pangai Junior and Raymond Faitala Mariner are among a group of ex-Bulldogs players who have been asked to provide evidence in Jackson Topine’s multimillion-dollar legal fight against his former NRL club.
Court documents obtained by this masthead reveal that Pangai Junior and Faitala Mariner are among six former Bulldogs players who have been called upon by Topine’s legal team to give eyewitness accounts of the wrestling session in 2023 that led to Topine launching action against the club in the NSW Supreme Court.
The four other former Bulldogs players are Chris Patolo, Jayden Okunbor, Khaled Rajab, and Fa’amanu Brown. It is understood all six were present at the session which prompted Topine to leave the Bulldogs and then launch a claim in the Supreme Court that he was subject to assault and humiliation.
According to Topine’s version of events, he arrived late for a session and was handed a punishment that involved wrestling as many as 35 of his former teammates. Topine says he suffered physical and mental harm as a result.
Topine is not making any claims of wrongdoing against his ex-teammates.
His legal team is expected to claim millions in lost earnings based on a career that could have lasted a decade. The Bulldogs have vowed to defend themselves over the matter, leading to a legal bunfight that could have serious ramifications for the game and its clubs.
A handful of players who were once at the ‘Dogs but now at rival clubs have been drawn into the matter, even though some are now earning their crust overseas.
While Faitala Mariner has moved to the Dragons, Pangai Junior is now playing with French club Catalans in the Super League. Patolo, Okunbor, Rajab and Brown have also left the Bulldogs, joining clubs both here and abroad.
Topine’s legal team has outlined plans to seek evidence from all six players as part of their claim against the Bulldogs. The court deemed that Topine’s legal team must provide the Bulldogs with a written statement by March 19 outlining what evidence they plan to seek from the witnesses relating to the facts of the case.
The Supreme Court also ruled that Topine needs to attend an appointment with the Bulldogs’ expert witness, doctor Adam Martin, before April 12. Martin is a consultant psychiatrist.
Topine hasn’t played since parting ways with the Bulldogs in 2023 and launched legal action in April last year against the club.
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Originally published as Six former Canterbury Bulldogs players to be called as witnesses in Jackson Topine court case
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