Bulldogs veteran Raymond Faitala-Mariner has cleared the air on a turbulent 2023, conceding he ought to have dealt with issues in a different way throughout a messy finish to the season.
Faitala-Mariner confronted coach Cameron Ciraldo about his coaching strategies after he’d acquired complaints from a few of his teammates.
It was an enormous studying curve for the 30-year-old, who was appointed membership captain at first of the season and emerged as a pivotal bridge between the teaching workers and the membership’s youthful gamers, solely to change into the scapegoat and reportedly informed he was undesirable by the membership.
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“It was a year of learning for all of us, even for myself,” he stated on Wednesday.
“I’ve learnt a lot about leadership and what that looks like and what that needs to look like, not only leading by example but knowing what to say.
“I say last year was a blessing in disguise heading into this year because you know what to do and what not to do.”
Another robust yr of on-field outcomes boiled over late within the season when studies emerged that a number of the gamers have been sad with sure coaching strategies that Faitala-Mariner relayed to the teaching workers.
But the veteran ahead says a number of the issues that have been reported weren’t completely true.
“I wouldn’t say that there were issues. I don’t think there were ever any issues at the club,” he defined.
“There were a few conversations here and there with the boys, but what I should have done was nail it on the head and said ‘boys, this is who we are and we’ve just got to buy into it’.
“There is a time as a leader when you need to address those concerns or whatever the boys are going through. From my end, I just need to communicate better with the boys and let them know this is where we’re going and you might have to suck it up because this is the way it is here.
“There were no concerns or issues – some boys felt comfortable to have a chat.”
The drama led to studies that the membership was making an attempt to dump one in all their most revered leaders, with claims he was informed by membership officers to keep away from coaching.
His title was within the papers most days, however essential chats with Ciraldo and Bulldogs basic supervisor of soccer Phil Gould smoothed issues over.
“It was tough. When things did come out, I had a conversation with the club and they told me it wasn’t true, so I believed them,” he stated.
“I just carried on with my process and getting things done because they gave me their word that what came out wasn’t true.
“I came in the next morning and had a conversation with Ciraldo and Gus, and they both told me it wasn’t true.
“I took their word for it.”
As for the studies he was banned from coaching that prompted the RLPA to become involved, Faitala-Mariner says it was a easy case of each events getting their wires crossed.
“I think it was just a miscommunication from my end,” he stated.
“We had the meeting, I had the conversation with Gus and he was straight up with me. We’ve put everything to bed and then I started the next Monday.”
Faitala-Mariner made it clear he needed to drive the requirements and be the person to assist the Bulldogs flip issues round, which is why he spent 10 minutes giving forthright solutions to the media.
But there was one query that pressured him to pause for a minute earlier than answering why he thinks 2024 will likely be totally different for a membership that’s been starved of success.
“I think having an emphasis on our core values as a Bulldog, which are family, grit and excellence,” he stated.
“There’s been a lot of emphasis on that in the pre-season, and based on the way the boys are training, everyone is buying into it.
“You can sense the togetherness that’s starting to brew here.
“That’s the thing that’s been missing.
“All teams have similar moves and systems, but it’s the stuff between the ears that makes a difference.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
