Bulldogs Prop Aiden Tolman believes it is important to stay focussed throughout the season despite off-field distractions, following last week’s loss to the Wests Tigers.
With external speculation surrounding player contracts and the recent news that Josh Reynolds will depart the club at season’s end, the front-rower believes it is the teams aim to worry about on field performance first and foremost.
“Our main priority here is the game of football on the weekend and that’s what we’ll be ultimately judged on. Our biggest goal now is the Canberra Raiders this week after a disappointing loss last weekend. The players here just need to go out and make sure they’re performing week in week out for the Bulldogs. We’ve got the same playing group here for the 2017 season and that’s not going to change,” said Tolman.
The Bulldogs sit in ninth position on eight competition points, along with three other sides and Tolman believes hard work will be a crucial asset to the side moving forward.
“We’re four [wins] and four [losses]. If we had got the win against the Tigers it would’ve pushed us forward, maybe even in the top four. That’s how close the competition is. We just need to keep working hard at training and working hard on all the little things. We need to be better this week because we’re coming up against a Canberra side in the same position as us. We need to make sure these teams that we’re playing on similar points, we’re beating, because it will just help us towards the back end of the year,” added Tolman.
It's a Saturday arvo cracker when the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs host the Canberra Raiders at ANZ Stadium.
The Bulldogs will need their wits about them if they're to overcome a powerful Raiders outfit in this one.
