The Bulldogs are reportedly involved in a legal battle with the player who walked out of training and stood down due to mental health concerns last year.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Bulldogs and the young footballer are embroiled in a legal dispute after talks between the club and the player fell through.
The highly regarded player, who is still ranked among the Bulldogs’ top 30, stepped down after being ordered to wrestle his teammates as punishment for being late to training.
The player, who cannot be identified due to mental health concerns, has not trained with the Bulldogs since the incident late last season.
The RLPA and NRL welfare team continue to monitor the situation.
When approached by the Telegraph, Canterbury CEO Aaron Warburton refused to comment on the situation.
“I can’t because there’s legal proceedings under way.” Warburton said.
Warburton refused to confirm whether the player in question was still paid by the club.
Coach Cameron Ciraldo’s strict training methods became a source of contention last year, when then-captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner brought it up with him on behalf of several disgruntled players.
Faitala-Mariner also battled with the club over his contract and is now with the Dragons after mutually agreeing to leave the Bulldogs.
Ciraldo addressed the media last year about the incident, defending the club’s punishment for the player and explaining that the Bulldogs were attempting to change the club’s culture and drive new standards to improve on-field performance after years of failure.
“It’s a pretty sensitive issue, and I won’t be commenting,” Ciraldo said at the time.
