That’s what you call a frosty reunion! Brent Naden is DRAGGED out of play by ex-Canterbury team-mates as former star makes his Wests debut against old side – but winger has last laugh as Tigers see off Bulldogs
- Bulldogs gave Brent Naden a frosty reception in his first match for the Tigers
- Naden, 26, shocked the club by switching earlier in the week out of the blue
- In his first action of the match, he was hauled off the pitch by three players
- Naden had the last laugh as Wests piled more misery on Canterbury with a win
It is fair to say that it has not been a quiet week for Brent Naden, and the Wests newbie copped a frosty reception from his old team-mates on his debut for the Tigers.
Just seven days ago, the 26-year-old wore the blue and white as the Bulldogs lost to the Knights, their eighth defeat of the season which left the club with no choice but to sack Trent Barrett.
While the writing was on the wall for the beleaguered coach for some time, there was surprise at Belmore when Naden was pictured in the orange and black of the Tigers, switching to Michael Maguire’s side in midweek.
Brent Naden was in for a frosty reunion with his former Canterbury team-mates on Friday
The 26-year-old was dragged out of play by three players in his first action of the night
Canterbury captain Josh Jackson revealed that Naden said goodbye over text, with Barrett’s sacking preventing the players from seeing each other for two days, and the Bulldogs players were eager to send their former team-mate a message on Friday night.
As Naden picked up the ball for the Tigers’ third carry, he was swarmed by three Bulldogs players and was dragged out of play on the slippery Leichhardt Oval surface.
Yet while the Canterbury players sought to go in tough on Naden, they showed very little fight in another turgid first half display which saw the Tigers take an 18-point lead into the break.
Luke Garner broke through the Bulldogs’ flimsy defence after just five minutes, before Starford To’a added to the scoreline just eight minutes later.
Naden shocked the Bulldogs by leaving the club for Michael Maguire’s Wests Tigers midweek
However the back had the last laugh as the Tigers piled more misery on rock-bottom Bulldogs
Naden showed his class with a quick offload to set up Ken Maumalo’s score in the 27th minute, before he doubled his tally for the night just before the break.
The hosts had to survive a second half scare against their rivals, though, but weathered the storm to inflict more misery on the bottom-placed Bulldogs by claiming a 36-22 win.
Interim Canterbury coach Mick Potter will have been heartened by the second-half fightback to trail 18-16 but when Aaron Schoupp was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous throw in the 62nd minute everything unravelled for the Bulldogs.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
