Bulldogs club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner given permission to leave

After finishing the season embroiled in the wrestling scandal, the Bulldogs have reportedly made a massive decision about the club captain.

The Bulldogs have made a massive call. Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Canterbury Bulldogs club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner has been given permission to negotiate with other clubs, a matter of months after he was named the club’s leader.

The Bulldogs have long denied the rumours of the 30-year-old being told he could leave the club despite having two years left on his deal, but it was confirmed by the star’s manager Ernesto Santone via the Sydney Morning Herald.

Watch every game of The 2023 NRL Telstra Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >

It’s a shock fall from grace for Faitala-Mariner, who has played 102 of his 114 NRL games for the club and was named club captain after Josh Jackson retired at the end of last year.

While Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton were named the on-field leaders, Faitala-Mariner was named the club captain.

Coming after the reports of unrest at the club over training standards and the wrestling furore, several media outlets have reported Polynesian players at the club have been left unhappy by coach Cameron Ciraldo’s training requirements.

He was reportedly approached by the players and asked to convey their concerns over the Bulldogs’ culture and training.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner is free to look elsewhere, according to reports.

Ciraldo last week defended himself and his methods as the Bulldogs seek to end a finals drought which stretches back to 2016 as the club goes through a rebuild.

SMH’s Michael Chammas reported Faitala-Mariner was on the outer back in July but it was denied by Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould at the time.

Faitala-Mariner is currently contracted at the club until the end of 2025, but the decision to allow him to negotiate only came during a recent meeting with Gould.

Speaking on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday, Gould dismissed the reports Faitala-Mariner was free to leave.

“I don’t read the media – I ignore it and I don’t listen to it,” he said.

“But I can tell you that it’s a deliberate destabilising act by people in the media who are trying to cause problems.

“There are no issues there. There are no culture issues there at the Bulldogs. None whatsoever. There are no issues with the coach whatsoever. Done.”

Faitala-Mariner played 14 matches in 2023, having spent a month bedridden with pneumonia after training through a flu illness.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner has played for the Bulldogs for a long time. Photo: NRL PHOTOS

Santone argued training while sick as well as playing out of position as a prop over recent weeks showed his commitment to the team.

“He has been a staunch supporter of the club, he’s been there since 2016 through all the injuries and ups and downs,” he said.

“He has shown his commitment again this year by not playing in his regular position, he has continued at it.

“No one can question his work ethic after training while sick, which ended up becoming pneumonia. He spent five days in hospital and then returned to training six kilograms lighter pretty much straight away.”

However, this could be the start of the exodus from the club.

Already losing Jake Averillo to the Dolphins, Tevita Pangai Jr. to boxing, Josh Reynolds to retirement and Fa’amanu Brown and Andrew Davey to mid-season switches, there’s plenty of players still off contract.

There have been reports Kyle Flanagan will head to the Dragons under his father Shane, Braidon Burns is set for the Super League, and the likes of Paul Alamoti and Luke Thompson are off-contract and reportedly open to other opportunities.

Originally published as Bulldogs club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner given permission to leave