"Couldn't have scripted it better": Aiden Tolman reflects on his 300th NRL game
Published in April 2022 by Lachlan Harper
When Aiden Tolman crashed over the line in the 26th minute on Friday night against Newcastle, there were no doubt cheers across the Macleay Valley as the Hat Head product marked his 300th game in style. Maybe a few jumped out of their seats too (including this author).
It was the perfect reward for one of the best blokes in rugby league and the hard-working prop couldn't have asked for a better milestone game.
"I couldn't have scripted it any better really," he said.
"To play your 300th game, get a try, get a win, play at home in front of the Sharks members and fans and having all my friends and family there was very special."
The milestone wasn't short of build up with Sharks players wearing specially made shirts featuring Tolman as a Smithtown Tigers junior along with video montages and a family presentation.
Aiden Tolman's children sport the specially designed apparel featuring their father as a Smithtown Tiger. Photo: Cronulla Sharks media
"(The build up) was really nice - Craig and the club tried to keep it quiet till Thursday morning, with an eight-day turnaround we didn't want to invest too much nervous energy thinking about it," Tolman said.
"My wife and kids came in, my kids spoke and presented me with the jersey. There were a few video messages from friends and it was really close with only footy players, staff and family present.
"It was a great way to lead into a big game - I can't thank the sharks and my wife enough for organising it, I just turned up to the game and got to live it all but they did an amazing job."
Among the crowd on Friday was Aiden's father, Mark, and he couldn't have been happier with proceedings.
"It couldn't have turned out any better, it was a very good night," he said.
"We've always been proud of him - it wouldn't have mattered if they won or lost - it just makes everything so much better when he was a good game, scores a try and they win."
Mr Tolman said while he didn't envisage his son would go on to an amazing 300 games of NRL, he always knew the talent was there.
"We were confident he'd be a good footballer because he always showed that calibre," he explained.
"To go this far is a great achievement, not many get to do it. He's very professional, always looks after his body and does the right thing all the time."
While most of the attention went towards Tolman's 300th, Friday's victory saw Cronulla maintain their spot in the top four as the veteran credited the presence of new and old players for the squad's early success.
"We've had some really good and smart buys in the off-season. Nicho (Hynes) is a quality player, losing Shaun (Johnson) last year meant we needed to get some points back in," he said.
"Buying Dale (Finucane) and Cam McInnes and a couple of other guys has really tidied us up defensively and they're really hard workers - and with the crop we've already got here, that's another year in first grade under their belt, they've become experienced and know what it takes to play first grade now.
"We're moving in the right direction and have three wins in a row but every team in this competition is tough so you've got to make sure you prepare well every week and turn up with right attitude and intent to play first grade footy.
"At the moment it's really coming off, we're working hard at training and the work in pre-season is coming off."
After spending the early stages of his career from 2008-10 at Melbourne, Tolman has an understanding of the Storm's system and said he sees the similarities between his time there and what Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane have brought to the club.
"100 per cent you do (see the similarities), and Craig (Fitzgibbon) has brought that over as well from the Roosters," he explained.
"They're a quality team and Craig has been apart of that organisation for plenty of years as a player."