Despite being named captain by new boss Cameron Ciraldo ahead of the 2023 NRL season, it was a difficult year for the back-rower, with Faitala-Mariner spending a period of the season in hospital as illness developed into pneumonia.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the 30-year-old has yet to find a new club in the southern hemisphere, with journalist Brent Read speaking on Triple M Radio to confirm the relationship between Faitala-Mariner and the Bulldogs was less than amicable.
“The interesting one is tomorrow. The Bulldogs are back,” Read said.
“I don’t know if you remember, but their club captain Raymond Faitala-Mariner had a bit of a fallout at the end of last season with the club. He had been named club captain earlier in the year, and he was basically given permission to go and explore his options.
“He hasn’t found another club as of yet Ray, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he is at training tomorrow. My gut feeling is he won’t be there because I’m not sure that things are all hunky dory between him and the club.
“It’s a bit of a sad state of affairs given he was club captain 12 months ago.”
With no NRL club seemingly interested in the back-rower, that could well pave the way for Faitala-Mariner to make the move abroad.
