Thompson wants response after nightmare week

Canterbury forward Luke Thompson is expecting the likes of Dylan Napa and Corey Waddell to repay their teammates after missing last week's horror loss to Manly for biosecurity protocol breaches.

The Bulldogs were forced to field three debutants in the 66-0 Sea Eagles defeat after Napa, Waddell, Brandon Wakeham, Sione Katoa and Aaron Schoupp were forced into isolation.

The NRL fined Napa $5000, while Wakeham ($1,750), Waddell ($1,500), Katoa ($1,250) and Schoupp ($250) were also hit in the back pocket.

The Bulldogs announced on Tuesday that the five players have been asked to appear before the board but were otherwise welcomed back to training on Monday.

Their possible returns couldn't come soon enough with Jeremy Marshall-King (two weeks) and Ava Seumanufagai (one week) set to miss the Roosters clash through suspension.

"It unsettled us, having so many new faces in different positions [last week]," Thompson said on Tuesday.

"When you're trying to solve combinations but then have players out it probably does affect you a little bit.

"[But] there's no excuses there, we need to work better as a team and that's something we've addressed this week.

"We were obviously disappointed with the weekend, not the result we thought we'd get.

"We've got a few boys back this week from the COVID so we're going to put that behind us now, make sure we work hard this week and focus on the Roosters.

"They've been back into training. They apologised they weren't available to help the team out."

The sixth-placed Roosters joined the Bulldogs and Cowboys in being one of three teams kept scoreless last week in a round that produced lop-sided results.

The Tricolours were humiliated 46-0 in Newcastle less than 48 hours before the Bulldogs were put to the sword in an 80-minute thrashing.

Both side's recent results have taken the wind out of any talk surrounding Kyle Flanagan's match-up against his old club.

Flanagan left the Roosters in abrupt circumstances last season and just 12 months into a two-year contract.

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett recalled Flanagan last week but he was afforded limited chances to control the side given the lop-sided result.

"Trent works really hard with us so to dish up a performance like that with the scoreline is not good enough," Thompson said.

"He comes in this week and said we've got to put it behind us."