Source :- THE AGE NEWS
“I have moved on, to be honest. I don’t want to comment on that, I am happy here.”
That was the message from Dolphins enforcer Francis Molo, who has refused to weigh in on his messy exit from the Dragons and instead wants to hone his focus on attaining history at his new club.
Fresh off inking a two-year contract extension to remain in Redcliffe, the 31-year-old has shed light on the sobriety mission that has enabled him to resurrect his life and NRL career.
Molo faced a career crossroads when he sought a release from St George-Illawarra before his arrival at the Dolphins mid-last year, with some reports suggesting he had a falling out with a club staffer after his decision to skip Mad Monday celebrations to avoid alcohol.
He has been sober for three years since pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge in early 2023, from which no criminal conviction was recorded, and has actively sought to turn his life around.
Molo would not confirm the nature of his Dragons departure, but he said his relationship with Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf – who mentored him at the Broncos and in North Queensland – had been a compelling factor to return to Queensland.
“Being young, you make mistakes, and you learn through different experiences and going through hardships. Like anyone, you have a choice to change or to stay the same; I chose to change my life with my sobriety, and it has paid dividends on the field as well,” Molo said, as his side hunt a maiden finals berth in 2026.
“It has been three years now [since I went sober]. It was the best thing for me with the issues I had. I am enjoying footy and my life off the field.
“A lot of people thought I came back because I am from Brisbane, but that wasn’t the case. The main reason was because I have a good relationship with Woolfy – I have known him from a young age, and he knows what I am about, and I know what he is about as well.”
Since Molo left Wollongong, the Dragons have been under siege – suffering a 15-game losing streak that culminated in the sacking of coach Shane Flanagan this year.
The Red V ended that run on Sunday when they beat Brisbane, a clash that ended with Broncos lock Pat Carrigan sidelined with an ankle injury. Carrigan is expected to miss at least the next three weeks, ending his hopes of lining up for the Queensland Maroons in game two of the State of Origin series on June 17.
That absence has opened the door for Molo and Dolphins teammate Tom Gilbert, who each boast two caps for the state. Gilbert was to be called up last year before suffering a ruptured pec, having last donned the Maroons jumper when he sustained a shoulder injury in game one of 2023.
Those setbacks bookended a ruptured ACL that terminated his 2024 campaign before it could begin. The Dolphins’ clash with the Cowboys on Saturday will mark the most games Gilbert has managed in a season since 2022, and he confirmed that thoughts of an Origin recall remained at the forefront of his mind.
“I always want to play for Queensland. I have always been vocal about it, and it has been one of the driving reasons why I keep turning up each day and keep coming back from injuries,” Gilbert said.
“From game one I was disappointed not to play and get picked, but the more I reflected on it, the more I realised there were probably too many errors in my game at the moment.
“Things like that [replacing Carrigan] do cross your mind. It would be emotional, it would be everything, [but] I don’t want to put scenarios on myself until that happens.”
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