Reynolds Kicks Cowboys to loss
40 mins ago | Andrew Ferguson
Bulldogs skipper Steve Price says the team is focused on the National Rugby League title as the scandal-racked club prepares to meet St George Illawarra in a trial on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
"It's been very hard this off-season, we've trained probably better and harder than we have over the past five or six years," Price said.
"I didn't train for six months not to win the premiership this year."
For the Dragons, Mark Gasnier and Brett Firman will make their comebacks from long-term injury in the match.
Meanwhile, Penrith coach John Lang says lack of match fitness won't be an issue for his team when it meets the New Zealand Warriors in an NRL trial in Auckland on Sunday.
Heading into this weekend's final round of trials before the season starts on March 12, clubs have been playing practice matches for up to a month.
But the Panthers have had only one hit-out - the 22-4 loss to English Super League champion Bradford in the World Club Challenge two weeks ago.
Lang said a lack of fitness was not a concern for his Panthers outfit when it takes on the Warriors.
Lang said as a rule, teams only played their full squad in a limited number of trials anyway.
"Most of the clubs will probably only have their full side in two trials, last week and again this week," Lang said.
"Our normal preparation I've had for the side is play two trials, miss a week and then start the (premiership) fixtures.
"Well, we've just done it a little bit differently, we'll have had a game, missed a week, played a game, missed another week and then gone into the fixtures.
"I mean, you're not going to be at your best going into the first game anyway."
The Panthers will be without Kiwi Test second-rower Tony Puletua, who will miss the match with a shoulder injury.
In the Warriors camp, coach Daniel Anderson said his team was set to surprise this season.
"We accept that expectation (on us) has increased but I see no reason why we can't live up to it," Anderson told League Correspondent.
"We can be better than last season, I think we can perform consistently at a higher level."
Meanwhile, Andrew Johns will make his comeback for Newcastle against North Queensland in Mackay on Saturday night.
Johns has not played since last August, when he suffered a C4-5 disc protrusion in his neck.
Parramatta's Nathan Hindmarsh has withdrawn from tomorrow night's Charity Challenge match against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium.
Hindmarsh had a slight groin injury which medical staff have recommended he rest.
Lee Hopkins has been moved into the starting side and will take Hindmarsh's place at lock.
The match also features former Parramatta and Newcastle winger Jason Moodie coming out of retirement, after signing a one-year deal with the Tigers this week.
Cronulla coach Stuart Raper has named internationals Phil Bailey and Jason Stevens to make their first appearances of 2004 in Cronulla's final trial on Saturday night in Port Macquarie.
In other trials on Saturday, Melbourne meets Canberra in Wagga Wagga, the Sydney Roosters take on Brisbane at Redcliffe's Dolphin Oval and Souths play Manly in Brisbane.