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New Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has come up with an unusual answer to his captain conundrum – by naming a leadership group of six with two ‘game day on-field’ captains and a ‘club captain’.
Matt Burton and new recruit Reed Mahoney are slated to take the on-field roles with Raymond Faitala-Mariner assuming the off-field club captain position. Josh Addo-Carr, Viliame Kikau and Max King will round out the leadership group.
The position of captain had been vacant after the retirement of Josh Jackson, who had held the role for several seasons, with much speculation about who may take over.
Luke Thompson had deputised on occasion in 2022, fronting the media post-match when Jackson was unavailable, while Addo-Carr had expressed an interest in moving towards a leadership role at Belmore.
Now, Ciraldo will entrust five eighth Burton and hooker Mahoney – both 80-minute players – with the job of interacting with the referee, though who will be senior in practice remains to be seen. Clubs may only have one on-field captain to request Challenges.
“I’ve never really been involved in a leadership group before,” said Mahoney. “Cam touched on it when I came that he wanted me to come and give my presence when I turn up, and I took that on board.
“It took me a while to sort of feel comfortable in that, but I just based everything around my actions and training hard. That’s what’s got me to where I am today – working hard.”
“I am just super excited to be a leader within this group, and this club – it’s so powerful. When the club is going this strong, you don’t want to be a part of any other club. I’m really looking forward to what the club has in store for the future.”
Faitala-Mariner’s role is thought to be unique in the NRL, with one player designated as taking charge of leadership in off-field culture alongside club legend Terry Lamb, the recently-retired Jackson and former Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan, who lead the club from 2005 until 2011 and won Dally M Captain of the Year in 2009.
BUNDABERG, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 07: Matt Burton of the Bulldogs scores a try during the round 21 NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the North Queensland Cowboys at Salter Oval, on August 07, 2022, in Bundaberg, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Faitala-Mariner himself said it was a surprise to be named, given his recent record with injuries.
“When Jacko [Josh Jackson] retired and obviously being one of the older ones at the club, I felt like a few boys needed to step up – there are big shoes to fill for Josh Jackson – so I thought I will be one of those boys to step up,” he said.
“I knew we had a young crew coming through and because I really love the club and what they’ve done for me, I thought the best way to give back is to be a leader in my own way and be true to myself.
“I wasn’t expecting it all. It’s surreal only because I just got back from my injury but that was a blessing by disguise in a way. It’s helped me to build patience, character, and resilience, and it’s helped me to be more grateful and just appreciate the little things.
“Now that I’ve been given this responsibility, I feel that hardship that I went through has kind of shaped my heart and prepared my heart for this role – even though it’s out of my comfort zone, I know my heart is in the right place because of the hardship and suffering that I went through.
“My Dad has always said to me, ‘lead from the back’ meaning to always humble yourself and just serve.
“The culture here is mad. It’s mad because it didn’t just come from the coaches, from the staff, it came from the players.
“It was cool how Ciro gave us the ownership and responsibility to come up with our own purpose and our own values, and because it’s come from us it’s now up to us to live up to that standard and to apply that culture in everything that we do.
“It’s good and all the boys are buying into it. The big thing is togetherness, and to achieve that we need to stay connected and trust one another.”
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