Former Canterbury Bulldogs club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner has revealed the club never pushed him out the door at Belmore.
The second-rower has been through a topsy-turvy last 12 months.
After returning from a long-term injury with a degree of success in 2022, the second-rower, who has added middle forward to his capabilities since returning from injury, was made club captain in 2023.
That simply didn't last though, with some reported issues and head butting with rookie coach Cameron Ciraldo, before he suffered a bout of pneumonia that left him in hospital.
His 2023 season was ultimately cut short, with constant speculation and rumours that he would ultimately be forced to find a new club despite having years to run on his contract at the blue and white.
So bad did things get at the end of the 2023 season that Faitala-Mariner missed the start of pre-season training on club instructions.
He returned to training after smoothing things over with club director of football Phil Gould, but was still on the hunt for a new club, and eventually found one, signing on with the St George Illawarra Dragons effective immediately, with Canterbury happy to release him from the final two years of his deal.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald though, Faitala-Mariner revealed he was never pushed out and the decision to leave was all his.
โThey weren't pushing me out the door at all,โ Faitala-Mariner said.
โIt was just this opportunity that arose. I thought about it, spoke to my partner, to my family and parents, (and) they said maybe a change was what I needed. I took their advice and I'm glad I did.
โNow that I was in camp with the Dragons this week, I can see why the change was needed.โ
Intriguingly, Faitala-Mariner told the publication his absence from training was a "miscommunication" rather than him being asked to stay away, and that he was in constant contact with Ciraldo and Gould over his future as reports that he was being shopped to find a new home persisted.
โ(Reports were) saying they didn't want me there, but every time something came out in the media, I've always had a conversation with Ciraldo and Gus. They always confirmed with me that it wasn't true,โ he said.
โI don't know where it came from. Whenever things were out in the media saying they were shopping me around and whatnot, I would always go to the coach, and Gus would be there at times, and they gave me their word, they said it wasn't true and didn't know where it was coming from."
Faitala-Mariner's likely first hit out for the Dragons will come against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield at Kogarah on February 17, with the Dragons then playing the Tigers in Mudgee during their second trial. They open their season proper against the Gold Coast Titans away from home.
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