Chalk it up as just another COVID-19 curveball.
After spending a month as members of opposing teams at a Gold Coast resort, Canterbury's NRL players welcomed Canberra duo Corey Horsburgh and Ryan James to their squad for the first time on Wednesday.
Horsburgh and James have been loaned to the Bulldogs for the next two weeks and will make their club debuts against the Warriors on Sunday.
For Canterburyback-rower Adam Elliott, it was a new experience before his 100th NRL appearance on the weekend.
"Obviously it's a bizarre situation, there's no doubting that. It's strange," Elliott said.
"We've been here and they've been walking around in Raiders kit for a month now and we cross paths and you sort of say 'G'day' and go about your day but then they're wearing Bulldogs gear and we're strapping up next to them this weekend.
"It's just another one of those things that you've got to recognise that it's probably a once in a generation, once in a lifetime, opportunity and situation that we're in and you've got to make the most of it.
"They're both definitely excited to play too."
The pair have been brought in to the Bulldogs squad with Jack Hetherington and Dylan Napa both suspended for the next two games.
Hetherington was sin-binned late in last Sunday's loss to Wests Tigers and his lengthy rap sheet resulted in the seventh suspension of his 38-game career.
Elliott said the latest ban had left the 25-year-old "devastated".
"Obviously he wants to be out there playing every weekend, and we want him to as well, and it's frustrating and disappointing for us as a club not to have him out there," Elliott said.
"There's a few little areas there that obviously can be tidied up but I wouldn't change Jack and the way that he plays and the way he approaches games.
"We just obviously need to figure out how we can get him out there each week."
