Premier prop Stefano Utoikamanu could have been playing in Friday night’s qualifying final for Canterbury – not the Melbourne Storm – and admits he felt guilty knocking back Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo.

Canterbury made serious attempts to lure the front-rower to Belmore a little more than 12 months ago, and now he poses a big threat to their season at AAMI Park.

Utoikamanu knocked back a $4 million, five-year deal with Wests Tigers to join the Storm, but not before heading to Belmore to hear what Gould and Ciraldo had to say.

“I definitely had to have a good think about it, and after meeting with ‘Gus’ and ‘Ciro’, I knew if I stayed in Sydney, the Dogs would be the team I’d go to,” Utoikamanu said.

“Ciro and Gus showed me their vision for the club, a

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