Bulldogs can forget about finals footy after loss to Wests Tigers

IN A match motivated by Josh Reynolds and Aaron Woods both playing against their former clubs, it was Reynolds and his Wests Tigers who were left smiling at the final whistle.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES — MAY 27: Mahe Fonua of the Tigers scores a try only to have it disallowed during the round 12 NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on May 27, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

CANTERBURY coach Dean Pay conceded his team has “a mental issue” in the wake of the 14-10 loss to Wests Tigers.

But Pay was adamant it has nothing to do with constant speculation linking some of his biggest stars to rival clubs.

After another performance in which Pay declared “we just threw nothing at them”, the Bulldogs’ growing on and off-field issues only intensified.

The form of star recruit Kieran Foran again came under the microscope, and the futures of Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods were also in the spotlight.

Aaron Woods and the Bulldogs were thrashed by the Tigers. Picture: Brett Costello

Moses Mbye and Josh Reynolds share a laugh at the end of the match.

While Josh Reynolds provided a tremendous spark for the Tigers in their second half fightback after starting his comeback on the bench against his former club, Woods was dragged midway through the first half and while he did return he looked anything but happy with his early change.

The win moved the Tigers to eighth on the NRL ladder on 14 competition points, while the Bulldogs remain in 14th spot with their finals hopes virtually a write off.

Pay did not hide from how bad the Bulldogs’ attack was after squandering a 10-4 halftime lead — and he admitted the onus has to come back to his halves combination of Foran and Matt Frawley.

Fox Sports Stats showed Foran finished the game with one run for one metre compared to Luke Brooks who had 11 runs for 88 metres, and Brooks was heavily involved in just about everything the Tigers did.

“We are starting games pretty well but then we get fatigued and we drop out of games,” Pay said.

“It has been happening time and time again.

“I think it is a mental issue.

“We got down the other end there and we got a little bit of ball but we just threw nothing at them.

“We have got to be better than that.

“We just can’t hit the ball up, hit the ball up, and expect to score tries.”

Asked if that responsibility rests with the halves, Pay added: “It does.

“It does and everybody else. I am not just blaming our halves. We need to be better as a team because we are all looking around for someone to take control of the game and we can’t find that person yet.”

The circle is now complete for Luke Brooks...#NRLTigersBulldogs pic.twitter.com/kXFiYfyuSH

— NRL Roast (@TheNRLRoast) May 27, 2018

Woods did not talk after the game but he looked shattered after copping it from his former fans throughout the match.

There was speculation on the weekend that the Bulldogs would not stand in Woods’ way if another club came chasing his services.

It was also interesting to note that while Woods is also fighting for NSW Origin selection, Pay saved his praise David Klemmer and Josh Jackson.

Pay said of Klemmer: “He’d be my first guy picked.

“He has been doing that all year and he keeps stepping up to the plate all the time.”

David Nofoaluma of the Tigers scores.

Asked about Jackson’s hopes, Pay added: “I don’t want to embarrass him but him and Klemmer, they give me everything they have got every week.”

Mbye is expected to announce this week that he has signed with the Tigers and there is a chance he could make the move immediately.

Cleary was coy about the speculation but conceded the Tigers have salary cap space to bring in a new player before June 30.

Cleary also spoke highly of Woods but there appears no chance he will return to his former club because of the club’s front-row depth.

Reynolds was playing his first game since round six and while he did not enter the match until the 50th minute he wasted no time injecting his energy.

Almost as soon as he came on, he took a quick tap that set up the momentum for a try to David Nofoaluma before Chris Lawrence’s 66th minute try sealed the win.

Given the partnership Brooks and Benji Marshall have formed in his absence, it’s hard to see how Reynolds will force his way into the starting team in the near future.

Although Cleary was adamant Reynolds does not need to worry about his future.

“Look, we bought Josh here for a reason,” Cleary said.

“This is his second game in 12 rounds.

“Last year for the second part of the year he didn’t play much either.

“So he has missed a lot of football.

“We are just trying to get him his sea legs back and see where we go from there.

“But he has definitely got a big role to play in this team.”

SCOREBOARD

WESTS TIGERS 14 (C Lawrence D Nofoaluma C Thompson tries E Marsters goal) bt CANTERBURY 10 (B Morris try M Mbye 3 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Henry Perenara, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 18,847

Watch every game of every round of the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as Bulldogs can forget about finals footy after loss to Wests Tigers