EXCLUSIVE: Bulldogs GM Phil Gould denies reports Raymond Faitala-Mariner is free to leave
Canterbury Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould has denied club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner is free to leave the club, after reports emerged suggesting otherwise.
The Bulldogs forward, along with Ryan Sutton, are contracted until 2025 but both were reported to have been given permission to leave.
Gould refuted the reports and criticised the coverage in the process.
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"No," he answered when asked if it was true on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
Legendary former NSW State of Origin coach Phil Gould Getty
"I don't know where all that comes from ... people get a little snippet of information and they make big deals out of it and create their own headlines for whatever sake. I don't know, they're obsessed with certain things.
"No one's been told to look around, no one's been told to leave the club at all.
"I ignore it all because if I had to put out fires because some journalist made an assertion that was incorrect, I'd be working all the time. I've heard so many rumours about us this year that things are happening here and there and none of it has ever come to fruition, no one is ever held to account for what they say. No one has been told that they have to leave the club at all."
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While denying the rumours around his club's contracted forwards, Gould added the Bulldogs are always looking at ways to improve.
Recently, former Rabbitoh Liam Knight made a late-season switch to the club while Sio Siua Taukeiaho is rumoured to be close to signing. Gould wouldn't confirm the latter but said "in the next few days we'll announce a few more" for next year.
"As a club we are always looking at our roster going forward, as do players and as do their managers, (they) look at their position in the club and look at who else is coming through and looking at pathways and their future," he said.
"Players are doing that as much as what clubs are, it's just the nature of our game at the moment, any conversation I've had with any player about our club and their future remain between me and them."
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