Unwanted Canterbury Bulldog Lloyd Perrett aiming to fulfil potential at Manly Sea Eagles

YOU don’t have tell Lloyd Perrett about the pain of being shopped around as a player. Perrett experienced it during his final season at the Bulldogs. The uncertainty impacted his football and confidence.

YOU don’t have to tell Lloyd Perrett about the perils and the pain of being shopped around as a player.

Perrett lived the unnerving experience during his final season at the Bulldogs last year.

He says the uncertainty of being unwanted impacted his football and confidence.

“The frustrating part is you look like a horrible player,” Perrett told The Saturday Telegraph.

“Because your name is getting shopped around and you are thinking people will think you are not very good.

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“The club doesn’t want me, but then it’s all out in the open it’s a relief that you get to show something.

“But there were plenty of times when it was happening with me where I was like, I’m sick of this and I just want it to end.”

Perrett is now in a happy place at Manly, but it hasn’t stopped him from thinking about his former Canterbury teammates.

The combination of a disappointing season and battles with the salary cap has resulted in a number of Bulldogs players being shopped around.

Lloyd Perrett is happier at the Sea Eagles but wants to lift his game. Pic: AAP

And they are big names too, including captain James Graham, the Morris twins, Moses Mbye and Greg Eastwood.

In the lead-up to Manly’s round 24 clash against Canterbury next Sunday, Perrett says he’ll reach out to any Bulldogs player facing an uncertain future.

“If any of those blokes are going through that I might give them a call to see how they are doing,” he said.

“I’m still mates with most of them. I talk to Raymond Faitala-Mariner, who I think has been outstanding for them. I’ve been talking to him because he has been a bit frustrated with how they are going and I guess how he is used.

“A lot of them are leaving, which is pretty interesting.

“I know they are looking to move some players on, because it’s a cut-throat industry and if you are not performing you get brushed.

Lloyd Perrett during his Canterbury days. Pic: Gregg Porteous

“They haven’t performed this year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if some of them have to leave.”

Form aside, Perrett says being shopped around severely impacts concentration.

“It didn’t help keeping my mind on the job,” he said.

“When I was at training it wasn’t as fun and it took the love out of it.

“Another player I know went through a similar thing said to me it took the flame out of the game for him. He just didn’t love it anymore and he hoped it didn’t happen to me.

“Luckily I’m here (at Manly) playing some good footy and having fun.”

Perrett has been one of the success stories of Manly’s surprise rise up the ladder this season.

But the 22-year-old is far from satisfied with his 10 top grade appearances for the Sea Eagles.

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Fuelled by a departing message from Bulldogs prop Aiden Tolman last season, Perrett is hell bent on living up to his hype as a star junior.

“I’ll never forget Aiden told me, ‘You’ve got a lot of talent, don’t waste it,” he said.

“That is something that I think about quite a lot. When you’ve got a bloke like that telling you that you’ve got something to live up to, it reminds me every day that I need to work hard.

“I don’t want to miss the boat.

“If I take too long to reach my potential then people will be thinking I’m too old. I think it’s about time I start unleashing myself.”

Lloyd with his brother Sam. Lloyd played Junior Kangaroos while Sam represented New Zealand. Pic: Glenn Hampson

Perrett also recently received a phone call from his older brother Sam, who is running the construction arm of two companies after his stellar 257-game NRL career came to a close last season.

“It was actually the first time since Sam has retired and we haven’t played together that he has said something to me,” he said.

“He told me to work on my relationships on and off the field and it will only help my football flourish.

“It was actually the first time since he has retired and we haven’t been at the same club that he has mentioned anything.

“He doesn’t really get too serious about football. He just knows let him play and he’ll figure out himself.

“But this was the first time he said this is something you should work on and this is something that will take you to the next level.”