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Sport
Fraser Barton

Sheens holds off on Doueihi, Bateman call for Bulldogs

Tim Sheens will give Adam Doueihi (r) every chance before making a fitness call for the Bulldogs. (Brendon Thorne/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens will make a late fitness call on Adam Doueihi and John Bateman with the pair needing to pass their final training session to play in Sunday's clash with Canterbury at Belmore.

Doueihi is managing bruising under his big toe which Sheens described as "nasty" with decent sized swelling.

Bateman trained twice this week after recently making the move back to Australia from England, and Sheens said the second-rower is a good chance for the Bulldogs fixture.

"He's (Doueihi) been working hard and will run today, and we'll call it from there," the veteran coach told reporters on Saturday.

"It'll still be about the pain and as the game goes on because you can't do anything with it and dull the pain. So we'll just wait and see."

Bateman moved up to the extended bench this week with Sheens saying he could be given an extra week off to get more training under his belt and learn more of the playbook.

"I don't want him exploding, I just want him to play some footy," Sheens joked about Bateman's adjustment to the weather down under.

"He's still settling into the country ... he's getting to know the boys really well and finding a voice in training.

"He's been sunburnt for about the last two weeks. But at the end of today's session, I'll make a call on it."

Injuries have forced Wests into a string of changes for the Bulldogs clash with Charlie Staines moving to fullback in place of Daine Laurie, Shawn Blore replacing Isaiah Papali'i and Starford To'a covering at centre after Tommy Talau suffered a broken nose against Newcastle in round two.

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