Aiden Tolman still has plenty to prove

[Big Nick]

Aiden Tolman still has plenty to prove

Steve Gee
From: The Daily Telegraph
February 15, 2011 12:00AM


HE was head-hunted to replace Ben Hannant as Canterbury's pack leader at just 22 and hailed as an Origin forward before he even played 50 NRL games.

But Aiden Tolman insists he's first got to prove he's worthy of a starting spot at the Bulldogs, before he sets his sights on loftier goals.

As far as Tolman is concerned all the talk of rep selection and so called pressure to deliver as a marquee signing is just that.

"I know I've got to perform well to get picked in the side every week there's no doubt about that," Tolman said yesterday.

"But at this stage there's no pressure on me.

"I just want to get out there this weekend and pull on the jumper and get some minutes and hopefully pushing into round one I can be there in the team."

The Kempsey junior vaulted from obscurity in 2009 to be a key member of Melbourne's premiership-winning pack before he was snapped up by the Bulldogs to replace Brisbane-bound Hannant when the salary cap scandal broke last year.

He was rumoured to be close to NSW selection last year under his club coach Craig Bellamy, and while he was called into Ricky Stuart's Blues in Waiting Camp last month, he says rep selection is the last thing on his mind.

"I'm not saying it's not a goal to play Origin football one day, but at this stage I haven't even played a game for my new club yet," he said. We haven't even started yet and there's plenty of great players that have been there before and will step up this year.

"At this stage I'm just concentrating on this weekend. From there we can hopefully get into the comp games and start off well and then if Origin comes around I'll be more than happy to take that."

Tolman says far from leading the pack he has to earn the respect of new teammates like captain Andrew Ryan, lock David Stagg and Michael Hodgson.

While the 183cm front-rower will never be among the NRL's biggest props, it's his work ethic and no-frills attitude that have Bulldogs convinced they've backed a winner.

 

[bLaQDoG..]

Tolman is the one player I really cannot wait to see play.

There's so much buzz about Eastwood and Pritchard, but I'm really keen to see what impact Tolman can bring to the team.

Anybody know if he will be playing in this Friday nights trial?

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

Tolman is the one player I really cannot wait to see play.

There's so much buzz about Eastwood and Pritchard, but I'm really keen to see what impact Tolman can bring to the team.

Anybody know if he will be playing in this Friday nights trial?

from Big Nicks post in the Josh Morris thread
Josh Morris dogged by twin separation

Steve Gee
From: The Daily Telegraph
February 15, 2011 12:00AM

JOSH Morris admits the battle of the heart strings never stops.

Ever since the split from twin brother Brett and the Dragons two years ago, the thoughts of a family reunion at the one club have been impossible to ignore.

But it seems even the constant chirping from from dad and Saints great Steve and the subtle nudges from twin Brett won't be enough to lure him back to the Red V.

Blood might be thicker than water, but it seems it's not enough to budge the Canterbury centre.

Even if he's playing his cards close to his chest ahead of the latest Morris brothers battle - Friday's trial match between the Bulldogs and Dragons at Wollongong.

The 24-year-old is expected to sign a new three-year deal to remain at Belmore before the season begins.

But while he admits he wants to stay at the Bulldogs, he concedes the tug of war is far from cut and dried.

It seems both brothers want the other to move.

"Obviously I've tried to poach him and I suppose Todd [Greenberg] and them knew he'd probably try and do the same to me," Morris said.

Returning from off-season shoulder surgery that ruled him out of the Four Nations series, Morris will make his first appearance for the Bulldogs in Friday's trial against the premiers.

Both sides are expected to field close to full-strength squads with new Bulldogs recruits Aiden Tolman and Trent Hodkinson to also make their debuts in the blue and white, while Dragons coach Wayne Bennett is set to name captain Ben Hornby and Jamie Soward, who both missed the Charity Shield on Sunday.

Morris said that although he will carry several extra kilos into the season after only returning to full training post-Christmas, he was feeling as sharp as ever.

And he is desperate to fight his way back into the rep arena after playing for the Kangaroos and NSW in 2009.

Morris was also called into Ricky Stuart's Blues in Waiting camp last month and said the experience has left him in no doubts he wants to be part of the series this year.

"That is one of my goals to try and get back in that side and obviously starting off the year well is a main focus for that," he said.

Morris is convinced the Bulldogs are ready to bounce back from the disappointment of missing the finals last year.

He said the feeling of renewal at the club following the signing of Frank Pritchard, Aiden Tolman, Greg Eastwood, Trent Hodkinson and Kris Keating was similar to 2009 when he was recruited with Michael Ennis, David Stagg and Brett Kimmorley with the club rising from wooden spooners to minor premiership runners-up.

 

[bLaQDoG..]

Cheers Gonads! That's awesome news.

 

[Dogzkill4eva]

Tolman will be a good buy this year.. He proved he will be one of the best last year with melbourne before injury... cant wait for round 1. How many days left? i think 29 days.. less than a month less than 4 weeks

 

[Book]

Tolman will be a good buy this year.. He proved he will be one of the best last year with melbourne before injury... cant wait for round 1. How many days left? i think 29 days.. less than a month less than 4 weeks

Do you know how long a week is? lol

 

[Paint.]

Do you know how long a week is? lol

lol

BTW i think tolman articles are the new barba-fullback or keating-hodko or keating v roberts articles. How many is this, 5 in the last 2 weeks?

 

[will.i.am]

The sort of player who will get less fan fare than the rest of the star studded team.

A real workhorse in the making and he'll get the job done week in week out.