Bulldogs v Roosters: Aiden Tolman sent to quarantine despite passing COVID-19 testing
The Canterbury Bulldogs have been rocked ahead of their rescheduled clash with the Roosters on Monday with the NRL insisting one of their star players goes into quarantine.
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A confused and somewhat upset Dean Pay has questioned why veteran Canterbury forward Aiden Tolman could be sidelined for up to three matches despite passing his COVID-19 test.
In a stunning decision that has rocked the Bulldogs ahead of Monday’s clash against the Sydney Roosters, Pay was told on Sunday afternoon that his workhorse prop would be unavailable even though he had come through his own test clear after a teacher from his child’s school tested positive to the coronavirus.
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Adding to Tolman’s dilemma, he will now have to go into isolation away from his teammates for 14 days.
This most likely will rule him out of next round’s clash against Cronulla and following that Wests Tigers.
Tolman will be replaced in the Bulldogs 17 to face the Roosters by Dean Britt.
Pay was stunned when he spoke to The Daily Telegraph on Sunday night.
“How can he be passed and not allowed to play?” Pay said.
“I don’t understand it.”
On Sunday night NRL head of football Graham Annesley explained the tough measures are designed to keep the competition safe from a potential outbreak.
“There is a possibility that Tolman may still have been exposed and is currently incubating,” Annesley said.
“Isolation of Tolman protects the team and allows the team to resume training.”
It came after the Bulldogs had a horrible build up to a crucial game against the reigning premiers.
The Daily Telegraph had spoken to Pay earlier in the afternoon and he was upbeat.
Canterbury certainly didn’t need another obstacle thrown in their path ahead of playing the Roosters - but they got it regardless.
While the Roosters were having their final training session on Sunday afternoon, the entire Bulldogs squad were undergoing COVID-19 testing that involves the extremely uncomfortable process of having a swab pushed up their nose.
Pay said he would not be using it as an excuse.
“I think we are starting to get a bit immune to it (the disruptions),” Pay said.
“This is what happens.
“It is the new normal.
“We want to keep playing (during the pandemic) so these things happen.
“We just have to get on with it.
“There is no excuses here. We are ready. We will see how we go.”
It followed a similar disruption last week when the Bulldogs were forced to change the preparations after club legend Terry Lamb turned up at training and made the mistake of shaking hands with several players.
This time it was no one’s fault that Tolman’s went to Laguna Public School where a teacher had tested positive to the coronavirus.
While Tolman was later cleared it was not before the NRL had to reschedule the match.
Now it has been an added blow to the Bulldogs losing most experienced forward.
Still, the Bulldogs need to find a way to put it behind them.
Pay said he was happy with the team’s effort last week and again they just had to focus on the process of completing sets and giving themselves every chance to put their best foot forward.
The important thing is that the Bulldogs go into the match with their confidence on the up following last week’s convincing win over St George Illawarra.
Kieran Foran made a huge difference in his return from injury against the Dragons and his match-up against Luke Keary will be crucial here.
The Roosters are in hot form after a record 59-0 win over Brisbane that was without James Tedesco who will return for this match.
But the Bulldogs were far from embarrassed in the last contest between the clubs in round 19 last year when going down 20-12.
“I am hoping we will put in a really good performance,” Pay said.
“We want to build on what we did last week.
“Obviously they are a really good team but we are just concentrating hard on ourselves and hopefully we go really well.”
The revised schedule also allowed the Roosters to revisit playing Jared Waerea-Hargreaves who was initially ruled out on Saturday with a back problem.
The NRL gave the Roosters extra time to consider playing Waerea-Hargreaves because of the delayed start.
While Waerea-Hargreaves trained with the team on Sunday it was said last night he would be unlikely to play.
HOW THE NRL CAME TO POSTPONE THE BULLDOGS v ROOSTERS
The Bulldogs and Roosters clash will go ahead on Monday after Aiden Tolman tested negative to coronavirus.
While the NRL will wait for the rest of the Bulldogs “bubble” to be cleared before officially giving the match the green light, the Daily Telegraph has been told the game will be played at 7pm on Monday after Tolman was cleared of having COVID-19.
Self-isolating in a Sydney hotel after being rushed to RPA for an expedited test, Tolman was told he was COVID free by way of phone just after 1pm.
The NRL is expected to wait for the entire Bulldogs “bubble” to be cleared even though there is no evidence to suggest they have been exposed to the virus now the Tolman has passed.
Tolman was sent for an emergency test after the school his eldest child attends was shut down after a confirmed case.
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The test was conducted at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital at 11am on Sunday.
The entire Bulldogs “bubble” – which totals 49 – will be subjected to COVID tests at Belmore on Sunday afternoon.
The playing squad has been called into Bulldogs HQ where an NRL doctor will administer the COVID test.
The NRL were forced to postpone Sunday afternoon’s Canterbury–Sydney Roosters game because of the scare.
Tolman’s children attend the Laguna Street primary school where a teacher has tested positive to coronavirus.
The game has been postponed until 7pm on Monday night on Fox Sports to allow Tolman to be tested for coronavirus. He is expected to receive his results back by lunchtime on Sunday.
“We’re not prepared to risk it,” ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys told The Daily Telegraph.
“The health of the players come first.”
V’landys said while the risk the virus had spread to the Bulldogs playing group was remote the Commission wanted absolute certainty before allowing the team to play.
“There’s a very remote risk of infection within the Bulldogs squad,” V’landys said.
“To ensure there is no risk at all, the player will be tested (on Sunday) and the game delayed until (Monday) to ensure the test results have returned. I want to congratulate the Bulldogs for swiftly informing the NRL.
“I want to thank our broadcast partners for their assistance, at very short notice, in changing the schedule.
“The changes will ensure our fans will still be able to watch a game on free to air television (on Sunday) afternoon.”
The match is the first to be affected by the virus since the NRL’s resumption last month.
Meanwhile, the St George-Illawarra and Cronulla clash, originally scheduled for 6.30pm, has been switched to 4pm on Sunday.
All students at the school in Sydney’s south had been told to self-isolate after news came through on Saturday afternoon that a staff member had tested positive to COVID-19.
Parents were notified on Saturday night, which is when it became apparent that Tolman had been caught up in the scare.
It isn’t the first coronavirus-related hiccup that has hit the NRL since its resumption, with the Bulldogs hit with a $25,000 suspended fine after club legend Terry Lamb was caught on camera breaching biosecurity protocols at training.
Lamb was captured shaking hands with players, which led to training being shut down until the 350-game champion had returned a negative test for the virus.
Last week, Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall was sent home from training after he gave a journalist a kiss on the cheek.
Marshall. who was dropped ahead of their Round 5 defeat to Canberra, was forced to quarantine over COVID-19 fears before being allowed to return to training once the journalist, Channel 7’s Michelle Bishop, returned a negative test.