Downward spiral ... Johns says Raiders' reputation is taking a hit. Source:Fox Sports
Early this week when news filtered through that Josh
Dugan would sign with the Dragons, the Raiders administration contacted
the NRL in the hope of them imposing a sanction that would prevent Dugan
from lining up against them on Sunday.
CEO Don Furner should've wandered down to the training
ground to ask the opinion of his Raiders players. Most of them have been
openly wishing to line up against their old buddy all week.
There's no bigger slur. Josh, where did it all go wrong?
If
a football club was a classroom, then Dugan was the dux of the class of
young men who were about to lead the Raiders into another golden age,
just as Ricky, Laurie and Brad Clyde had done 20 years previous.
In
his rookie year of 2009, Dugan was voted the Raiders' player of the
year. In 2010 he made his representative debut for Country Origin, he
was man of the match and his established teammates raved about him.
"Tough", "Great kid", "As good as Mullins", "Should be picked for
Origin".
In 2011 he was, as well as earning selection for the NRL Allstars, and again he impressed greatly.
Fast forward to round one, 2013. Josh Dugan is
expected to be ruled out of the clash with the Panthers, with an
infected lip. Yes, an infected lip ... anyway.
The
Panthers players are getting stripped and prepared for warm up when, as
it happens one hour before kick off, the Raiders' team sheet comes
through. In the Panthers' dressing room someone announces Dugan is
playing and a cheer goes up from some of the Penrith players.
Penrith you see, had been wishing he'd play all week, in the hope of targeting him. Target him they did, and won comfortably.
The
next 24 hours has been well documented. Sitting on a roof top drinking
Bacardi Breezers (do they sell them in Queanbeyan?), giving all and
sundry the bird on Instagram, not bothering to turn up to training and
having words with the coach.
How did things get so bad Josh?
For the club this was the final straw. They were tired of Dugan's behaviour and knew Dugan's teammates felt the same way.
They cut him loose. Maybe that's what Josh Dugan wanted all along.
But the Raiders shouldn't believe that the removal of Dugan
will instantly solve some serious problems which have developed in the
playing ranks of this club.
Take last week. I
fully expected after the week the club had just endured, that the
Raiders players would come out blazing with energy, aggression and
enthusiasm. Instead they were appalling. Down 30-0 at half-time to the
Titans and it could've been much worse, considering the Gold Coast had
two tries denied by the video referee and had blown another.
Up in the coaching box the pain on David Furner's face said it all.
Ins and Outs
We present the squads of every team for round three of the 2013 NRL Telstra premiership.
How a side reacts during times of adversity signals the character and desire of the individuals within it.
Take
Cronulla's round one victory over the Titans after what that club was,
and is, experiencing, and compare it to what the Raiders served up
against the exact same opposition. Raiders coach Furner would be right
to take last Sunday's performance personally.
Cutting ties with Dugan was a correct decision made by coach and board, in consultation with the senior players.
Last Sunday the players had to deliver. They didn't.
David
Furner knows better than anyone about the standards which are expected
at this club. He was brought up on them and lived up to them when it was
his turn to pull on the green jersey.
Canberra were once the benchmark for rugby league professionalism. They trained harder, trained smarter and they won often.
The club that the likes of Don Furner, Mal Meninga and Tim Sheens built stood for excellence.
Sadly now, the club has become an example of players getting ahead of themselves.
Was Dugan the ringleader? Or just someone who got caught up in a playing group who have developed a poor culture?
If by chance Dugan ended up signing at the Bulldogs or the Storm, we would be certain that he would quickly return to his best.
Which
makes you question what was it that stopped him from achieving all he
can be at his hometown club, which has given him so much?
Catch Monday Night with Matty Johns at 8.50pm (EDT) on Fox Sports 1HD - straight after Monday Night Footy.
Melbourne
Storm rookie Slade Griffin, who as they do in Melbourne has slipped
seamlessly into the top side, was asked leading into his debut against
the Dragons: "How does it feel to be part of the first-grade team at the
Melbourne Storm?"
Griffin replied: "I haven't
thought too much about it. All I can focus on is not wanting to let
Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cam Smith down."
Compare
that to the recent actions of Blake Ferguson and Dugan. Since this
playing squad was slowly assembled from 2009, big things have been
expected of them.
In 2010 they finished with a
rush to reach the second week of the finals, then they disappeared for
18 months. They once again finished with a rush in 2012 to prove their
talents and suggest 2013 will be the year they finally reach their
potential.
They may do, but the start has been disastrous.
This
week they take on St George Illawarra, a team with little of Canberra's
attacking talent but a side which fights hard every week.
This
will be a test for the Raiders because when the Dragons sit and watch
the video of last Sunday's outing, they will no doubt fancy their
chances.
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