According to The Daily Telegraph, former Bulldogs captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner has returned to training after being told not to participate in pre-season.
Cameron Ciraldo’s squad returned for pre-season on Monday, but the 30-year-old was informed that his presence was not necessary after an unpleasant confrontation. Despite having two years remaining on his present contract, the 30-year-old has been advised he can talk with rivals.
He was also seen sitting down with Bulldogs boss Phil Gould for a crisis meeting after club officials made their position known.
After Faitala-Mariner was told he wasn’t welcome at training, the player’s union became involved, contacting the lock about his treatment.
The Bulldogs have apparently allowed him to return to training, but his future remains uncertain.
The next two years of his contract are worth an estimated $800,000, and he has yet to find a suitable club to take up his offer.
Super League clubs are reportedly vying for his services, but Faitala-Mariner is said to want to continue playing in the NRL.
Luke Brooks’ decision to quit the Wests Tigers after more than a decade with the club was “tough,” but the star playmaker admitted it was a decision he “had to make.”
In one of his first one-on-one interviews since becoming a Sea Eagle, Brooks told foxsports.com.au that parting ways with his former club “felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”Brooks was a local Tigers kid who became an instant sensation after making a stunning debut as a fresh-faced 18-year old in 2013.
The next season, he was crowned Dally M Rookie of the Year, and in 2018, Brooks not only won Halfback of the Year, but also finished third overall in Dally M points.
However, from a team standpoint, the 29-year-old had little success with the Tigers, with the unfortunate distinction of missing the playoffs in the majority of his games.However, leaving the Tigers was not an easy decision for Brooks.
But he can now confidently declare that was the right decision.
“It was a hard decision that I had to make but in the end I think once it all settled down, coming here, it made me think it was the right decision,” Brooks said to foxsports.com.au.
“At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for yourself.
“Once I did make the decision it sort of felt like a weight off my shoulders and I was happy with my decision.”Brooks has had opportunity to leave the Tigers in the past — he was close to joining the Knights before the 2023 season — but has always reaffirmed his devotion to the Tigers.
Why now? What persuaded him to make the leap?
“I think it was just the right opportunity and the right club,” Brooks was quoted as saying.
“I guess I’ve been with the Tigers for so long that venturing outside of my comfort zone will be beneficial to me. When you keep doing the same thing, a change is necessary.”
The opportunity to play alongside Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic was also an appealing prospect.”That’s definitely the main thing that attracted me to Manly,” Brooks said of the team’s star power.
“There are a lot of guys on our team who have played Origin, and there are some extremely experienced players who I believe will benefit me.
“I’m looking forward to a fresh start and hopefully playing some good football.”
Brooks spent the majority of his first grade career at halfback, but when he teams up with Cherry-Evans, he will wear the No.6 jersey.
“A lot” excites Brooks about playing with Cherry-Evans, an accomplished — and traditional — No. 7, because he believes it will bring out his best.”(Cherry-Evans) has obviously done everything in the game so I feel like I’m going to learn a lot from him,” said Brooks.
“I’m excited to play alongside someone of that caliber. He’s been playing some of his greatest football in recent years, despite being 34 years old.
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