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Cameron Ciraldo has defended the Bulldogs\u2019 push to increase standards at the club after a player walked out on the club when forced to wrestle up to a dozen teammates in a row for being late to training, a punishment described as \u201cbrutal\u201d by one onlooker.<\/p>\n
While stressing he would not directly address an allegation one of the squad\u2019s top 30 players was used as \u201cshark bait\u201d \u2014 a wrestling term for being made to take on challengers continuously \u2014 the Bulldogs coach doubled down on his bid to drag the club out of the NRL basement.<\/p>\n
The player hasn\u2019t returned to the club since the incident, and one person who witnessed the session speaking on the condition of anonymity said the player was left physically and emotionally scarred after the training punishment.<\/p>\n
This masthead has chosen not to name the player because of concerns over his mental health.<\/p>\n
Ciraldo said the Bulldogs have used several methods to punish players who didn\u2019t meet the club\u2019s standards, including fines and spinning a wheel which would determine a sanction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve gone through a range of different ways of talking about holding standards,\u201d Ciraldo said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo at a press conference on Wednesday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Kate Geraghty<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cSome of that\u2019s been monetary related, some of it\u2019s been spinning a wheel and then some of that\u2019s been trying to find ways to change behaviours.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is we need to change behaviours here, and I think we\u2019ve done a good job of that throughout the season. And I feel really sorry for the fans that we are where we are. It doesn\u2019t seem like we\u2019ve taken steps forward this year on the same wins as last year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe definitely haven\u2019t taken steps back.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rugby League Players\u2019 Association have been made aware of the wrestling incident, which has emerged in the same week the Bulldogs finish their season against the Titans on the Gold Coast.<\/p>\n Asked whether he hoped the player would return to the club, or for more specifics about the training incident, Ciraldo said it was a \u201csensitive issue\u201d and declined to comment but added \u201cat different times we\u2019ve wanted to put some standards in place and if you\u2019re late we have to do something\u201d.<\/p>\n Online speculation a number of Bulldogs players are unhappy with Ciraldo\u2019s training demands and length of time he expects them at the club was refuted by the coach. He said his former club Penrith, where he helped Ivan Cleary to back-to-back premierships, had far greater demands on their players.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one has come to me and told me they\u2019re complaining about long days,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a [Jersey] Flegg group [under-21s] in here that do weights at five o\u2019clock in the morning, go and work for 10 hours and come back and do field [sessions] at 5.30 in the afternoon. That\u2019s a long day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way those guys are going about their business is showing they are the future [of the] Bulldogs and that\u2019s who we are going to build the club around.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked whether the culture was right at the Bulldogs, Ciraldo said: \u201cWe\u2019ve been losing so clearly the culture is not exactly right.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bulldogs will finish the year third from bottom regardless of their final round result. The club hasn\u2019t made the finals since 2016.<\/p>\n Stream the NRL Premiership 2023 live and free on <\/b>9Now<\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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