Bulldogs recruit Marcelo Montoya has wiped away tears as he opened up on the birth of his daughters amid his Belmore return ahead of the 2025 season.
Montoya made his NRL debut at the Bulldogs in 2017, and this pre-season has been a special one after he revealed he had become a father to twin girls on Friday.
Speaking to media on Monday, the gun winger become emotional when speaking about his wife and the sacrifices she had made to ensure he has been able to focus on football.
“It’s been pretty public the Warrios couldn’t offer my an extension and my wife was heavily pregnant at that time,” Montoya said.
“We had to make a decision that was best for my wife and our family. To come back to Sydney was important to us.
“But to be able to the club where it all started for myself is pretty special and I’m just grateful that ‘Ciro’ (Ciraldo) and Gus (Gould) see potential in me.
“My beautiful wife gave birth to twin girls on Friday, it’s pretty cool hey. It’s something that, I just get emotional about it. But my wife, she’s a beast bro.
“She pushed them both out and to see that live it just changes your life, there’s more to life than footy. That’s what I realised, everything, my whole career has been about footy.
“I’ve been so selfish but to see my girls come on Friday was cool.”
Asked whether his love for his wife has grown since the birth of his children, Montoya said: “It just doubles, it just amplifies. She means a lot to me, but yeah, it’s just crazy… it’s cool.”
In Montoya’s last season at the Bulldogs, he only played nine games with the Belmore-based club coming 15th with only three wins in a disappointing campaign.
Rookie coach Cameron Ciraldo arrived at the club ahead of the 2023 season, but endured a tough debut season with his side having the worst defensive record in the comp.
Fast forward twelve months and the Bulldogs broke an eight-year finals drought and were one of the teams considered a genuine premiership threat coming into post-season football.
“Walking in here a lots changed for the better. So grateful for the opportunity to be back here at the Bulldogs and looking forward to what’s ahead,” Montoya said.
“I just feel like the vibe when you walk in, when I first walked in a few weeks ago to meet Cameron and all the boys was pretty cool.
“That energy you get off them, it’s all positive and we’re going somewhere here so it was pretty cool to walk in and feel that.”
So now Montoya’s only focus is to do everything he can to help this side continue their form into the 2025 season.
“This club means a lot to me, and to have my wife here and my girls now, and both our families it’s pretty cool,” he said.
“I just want to come here and learn, I don’t want to come here and be stagnant in my career, I feel like I’ve got a lot to give but I’ve got a lot to learn.
“I want to come here and learn off the best, I know ‘Ciro’ is a great coach seeing what the boys have done last season.
“’Gus’ is a legend, he’s been so supportive to me and my wife. So I don’t want to come here and be stagnant, I want to learn. I want to give the best I can every day for my wife and kids.”