Last night’s announcement from the Brisbane Broncos that they were no longer interested in chasing Josh Dugan’s autograph was another reminder that NRL is no longer just about the game.
Brisbane were on the verge of signing Dugan to a $2 million deal until a series of inappropriate comments from Dugan on his Instagram account put a stop to the deal.
Be it a shot of Dugan sipping on booze or a player posting pics from his latest “epic crew bender”, you have to keep asking who on earth is keeping an eye on these guys?
I could go into a spiel about the abuse athletes now have to cop through social media, but that can be left for another day.
The days of turning up to a game and seeing your favourite player signing autographs were once the only chance you had to access them or their lives.
In an era where social media means everyone can know their business, a footballer’s marketability can be flipped on its head in a millisecond due to one 140-character comment or mobile upload.
Only a few months back, then Penrith Panther Arana Taumata lost his contract with the club over a racial slur directed at two Indian contestants on the hit rating cooking show My Kitchen Rules.
At last Friday’s Bulldogs match I asked Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, who recently started his own Instagram account, if he would be joining the Twittersphere.
“No way, never. I hear all the boys talking about it at training and it just seems like trouble.”
A smart move or an ignorant one?
Having an extra branch to promote yourself and your endorser’s products through social media is now standard practice, and when used correctly can be beneficial to both parties.
When it comes to Tennis Australia, Bernard Tomic, Marinko Matosevic and Lleyton Hewitt are nowhere to be seen on Twitter.
“I just look at Roger Federer; he’s not on it and that’s good enough for me. In the end it’s just another thing you have to worry about,” said Matosevic in January.
Coming from a media and PR background I personally think it’s a necessity for top athletes to be accessible to their fans, but where do you draw the line?
Fake profiles run by club media co-ordinators? Generic tweets with no actual personality coming through?
It’s guaranteed this won’t be the last social media gaffe we see from a footballer, but as far as losing a $2 million deal, Dugan’s mishap will be hard to top.
So I ask all club and player mangers this – are you watching over your talent? If not, why the hell not?
I understand it’s time consuming, but scrolling over your top names’ tweets hardly compares to a club or sponsorship contract being torn up.
Moving forward, for every athlete out there on the drink, on a roof or with your shirt off – turn your phone off.
Your name, tweets, and photos are now your job. You don’t just play footy. It’s not about how many metres you ran on the weekend or the hat-trick you scored last month.
It’s about this as well. And keeping out of trouble is pretty simple.
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Either way mate, my point is that he is not showing the behaviour of someone with a sound mind and self respect.
brother mouzone
Guest
wouldn't take much ink to contaminate that peanut sized brain
Tigranes
Guest
I thought he left his partner and she was 6 months pregnant
turbodewd
Roar Guru
Could an amount of ink in his skin gotten into his bloodstream and affected Dugan's brain?! It affected Carney!
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Sorry Hayley, but "you have to keep asking who on earth is keeping an eye on these guys?" is a silly comment. They are adults and are responsible for their actions. They should not need anyone to watch over them. If they are not bright enough to understand that as a public, well paid figure you can not simply be "one of the boys" then they do not deserve to money and the trappings. It is no different to an office bearer or manager in a big company - act like a tool and when the media get hold of it, your career is toast. It bores me to tears listening to the fanboi's and media shills who keep extolling us to give them another chance - in the real world you get shafted, and shafted good and proper. Time some of these meatheads understood this.
Bearfax
Guest
I suspect he will still be picked up by an NRL team, perhaps Brisbane, but for significantly shorter and cheaper contract. He's too talented a young fellow to lose to the game, but puting him on notice and hitting him in the pocket is often an effective means of teaching kids to grow up.
clipper
Guest
Too true Brett - an updated version of Lincoln's (I think) quote 'Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt'.
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Josh is drilling through rock now....he really has pressed his self-destruct button. About a dozen times. I used to mock and laugh at him with his gen-y attitude and his ridiculous faux-gangster mentality. The over the top, lame as tattoo's were the icing on the cake. But now I really feel sorry for the kid. He's obviously going through some very deep psychological issues. His world is literally crumbling around him. His long term partner has left him, his career is a shambles to the point where he is nearly unemployable. He is obviously abusing alcohol(maybe drugs too) and hanging with sycophants, that do little more than validate his ridiculous behaviour and inflate his ego. He has lost the respect of not only his former team mates and the greater NRL community, but he has lost the respect of a lot of the general public and fans of the sport. When people have lost everything and have nothing more to lose, they can become unpredictable and a danger to themselves. With the behaviour he is displaying, that seems to be his bent in a nutshell. If there isn't some kind of intervention from the people in his life that matter to him, he could be destined to become another carcass on the side of the road of sports success. Further proof that talent alone won't get you there in the long haul.
Brett McKay
Expert
Much better to let people think you're a massive tool, than to get on social media and confirm it...
oikee
Guest
I still cant beleive that Brisbane was prepared to pay him 600 thousand a year. This club is in KAOS. The junior policy is now in tatters, the club is clutching at straws trying to buy reject players, and the coach has burnt out Hannett and Friday. Hannett could not even pick his kid up after the Storm game. Friday is that frustrated he will be burnt out soon enough. This club picked up 2 more injuries to add to a list as long as your arm. They now have to play a Redcliffe player. To think they nearly signed Dugan. Why dont they just buy a good player from England. Tomkins or a half decent centre. There are a few over their that would be good. Next year the Broncos have to open the chequebook, buy Kasiano, or 2 of the Burgess brothers. Souths cant keep them all, offer any 2 of them 1.5 million. The Broncos have to be real, get serious and stop thinking players will come to this club for peanuts, wont happen. They have to get aggressive and open the chequebook. As for Dugan, put this down as his second club. It normally takes about 3 before they learn a lesson. Next.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Its a real shame. I like Dugan as a player. He's definitely gifted and would have brought a bit more oomph to the club, but the Broncos as much as they hate losing, they hate these sorts of players who think they're bigger than everyone else. In a way I'm sad he won't be there but I'm also glad because this attitude and mentality is and should not be welcome at any club. You watch, one club will eventually get him then he'll be another Todd Carney.
Matt
Guest
Brisbane thank god, he's not worth $600k a year. If they could snap him up cheap like sharks eid carney then yes, but for full price no way. They are no different to anyone else. Drunken anything on the phone (SMS, call, FB, twitter) is a terrible idea.
brother mouzone
Guest
hopefully for his sake he learns something.his own team booted him out,brisbane stayed away.surely the dragons aren't that desperate? has the penny dropped? his only option will be to play in England for a couple of years.it may do him good to get away. then again being over there while we are getting hammered in the ashes is a recipe for disaster.
Lou
Guest
Dugan it's simple GROW UP
Gaz
Guest
Brisbane dodged a bullet.
Johnno
Guest
Dugan should of followed Australian cricket coach Micky Arthur's lead, and issue a polite statement, and then closed his account. Simple. But the teenager like mentality, Dugan was incapable of doing something like that. Wow Dugan would of been an easy target to tease at school it seems. He is very reactionary, unlike Micky Arthur. Micky Arthur was calm and concise , and just moved forwad and moved on with business. Dugan is a loose cannon, the Broncos were wise, to stay away from him.