Aiden Tolman set for third COVID-19 test before rejoining Bulldogs

Canterbury frontrower Aiden Tolman will undergo his third test for COVID-19 on Friday morning.

Aiden Tolman has to take another COVID-19 test on Friday to see if he will given the green light to rejoin the Canterbury team for training on Saturday. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Canterbury frontrower Aiden Tolman will undergo his third test for COVID-19 on Friday morning. So will his wife Zarinah and their three children.

“It is uncomfortable, especially for my little one, he is only three,” Tolman told The Australian.

“He got (the test) once — it is hard to explain to him he has to get it again. He asks every day, ‘are we getting tested’.

“‘Not today mate, we’re not getting tested today’.”

Tolman and his family inadvertently became the human face of rugby league’s fight against the coronavirus just over a week ago when a teacher at his child’s school tested positive for COVID-19.

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To his eternal credit, Tolman quickly informed the club after receiving an email from NSW Health, setting in chain a process that forced the ARL Commission to postpone the Bulldogs’ game against the Sydney Roosters for 24 hours.

Tolman was forced to isolate for three days in a hotel room, separated from his family.

He admits he initially feared that the game could be forced into hibernation again.

“We hadn’t had any signs or symptoms,” he said.

“There have been cases where children in particular can be asymptomatic.

“We just wanted to make sure all the boxes were ticked.

“It was shock more than anything. I don’t think there had been a community transmitted case in NSW for about a week, or there had been a very small number.

“To be caught up in the only case is disbelief. It was like how does this happen to me? You have taken all the protocols on board and done them all properly.

“Then, out of your control, something else comes up. There was not any more we could have done. We got on to it early, which was the main thing.

“We separated pretty much straight away and I went and got tested on Sunday morning. My family had to go and test as well.

“We had to go in separate cars. I went straight to a hotel in Cronulla from there and they came back home. All the results came back negative.”

Tolman, at least, is back home. He hopes to be back with the Bulldogs for their captain’s run on Saturday, although his return depends on the results of a third test on Friday. The Dogs play Wests Tigers at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday night.

“I am just hanging here, trying to stay sane,” he said.

“We all have to go and get tested again on Friday (for me) to be cleared to return to training on Saturday. The whole family has to be tested.

“That’s the hard thing — it is uncomfortable. The kids have been tested twice. They have to get one more. They don’t enjoy it.”

Tolman insists he will be ready to make his return this weekend provided he gets the all-clear on Friday, having spent his time at home training on a stationary bike and lifting weights.

He is allowed to go outside from Thursday and the club could desperately do with his leadership and experience at a time when they are struggling for results.

The Bulldogs have missed him and he has missed them, having been forced to watch their losses to the Roosters and Cronulla on the television.

“It has been difficult,” he said.

“It is not the first time I have missed games. When you are injured you are allowed to support the boys. When you are not with the team you want to be around, especially as a senior guy. You want to support them. That’s been the most difficult thing. The results haven’t been there. You can see it takes its toll after a while.”