Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan are idiots. Complete idiots. Who told them that “yes, you two should definitely reunite again on the town on a Sunday night, nothing possibly would go wrong”?
What on earth were they thinking?
There is no question that Ferguson is going to deserve any punishment that the NRL give out to him.
The police have formally laid charges, so it is fairly safe to suggest that his Origin days are over, and the Raiders will be seriously thinking whether he is worth handing over a pay check to each fortnight.
Just because Josh Dugan didn’t get charged or has avoided being a complete tool doesn’t mean he should be escaping scrutiny either.
This is a man in whom the (glorious) Dragons decided to take the plunge and offer a lifeline for him, when everyone would have understood if no club offered him a contract.
And yet, he thought he would meet up with his best mate, and partner in crime and hit the juice on a Sunday evening.
These two boys, yes boys, have serious problems handling their turps and have repeatedly abused the good faith others have shown in them for their own selfish and self absorbed behaviour.
One would say that what Ferguson has done is inevitable.
That statement is certainly not meant to be seen as attacking the man per se, but more attacking the man’s character when he repeatedly binges at completely inappropriate times.
Perhaps I’m rushing to judgement, and perhaps Ferguson will be proven innocent.
Either way, both boys will really need to start thinking about their behaviour and their actions, and most importantly the consequences of their actions.
Dugan clearly hasn’t. Ferguson certainly will.
Sack them both.
Perhaps then when they aren’t earning 400k a year, they might learn the value in responsible behaviour.
Stu
Guest
Best article title: Idiots: the pineapple cruiser duo strike again You should do a cartoon for Melbourne newspaper every week about two moronic league players and their adventures. Seriously...the Herald Sun what eat the concept up.
Mark
Guest
As my old dad said: 'Hire one boy and you get one boy. Hire two boys and you get half a boy."
ken oldman
Guest
The late great Dragons boss.....Frank Facer would never have engaged his services in the first place,not being worthy of pulling on the white jumper with the white V,.........How times change,for the worst for the once Mighty Dragons.
maximillian
Guest
I like the strong stance David Smith is taking in trying to cleanup the game. League should be the greatest game in the world but the constant off field dramas coupled with 80s throwback violence prevents the game from moving forward. Its still early days for him as CEO but I think he has done some good things so far.
seven dollers worth
Guest
Alcohol isnt to blame. Australia has to many backward idiots in the NRL now. Its no wonder that support for the game has declined in the past 10 years. Australia has evolved away from the days of the violent grubs, the NRL has not.
oikee
Guest
You really need to feel for Nathan Merrit, he really should have been in the mix, but Daley reuniting these 2 paddle pop boys was always going to end in tears. And it has. Barrett's oldschool drnking after the game has also caused damge, now everyone thinks the NRL has a drinking culture again. 1 step forwards, 3 steps back, Gallop is chuckling, having a good laugh, and never will apoligise to the stewarts, ever. Nor should he, they attacked the CEO even if they were right. The only thing people notice is lack of respect, lack of rules, lack of leadership, our code displays all these issues,a nd the indians are running wild. hehe. Not long now, the crowdas are hoverign around 10 thousand or less, and Sonny Bill cant even help. Life support is firing up as we speak, once origin is over, the heart moniter will be placed on the game permamently. She is dying, dying i tell ya.
Nick
Roar Guru
Japan does. A few MMA/boxers have had trouble sorting out visa's in Japan, even when the are only going to be there fo a few days. I can't say for sure about France, but I would tentatively assume that it would be a pan-EU policy to not let in convicted criminals. But, I may well be wrong on this.
Nick
Roar Guru
Read the smh articles is all I'll say.
Terry
Guest
Gerogie!!!!! nothing good happens ater 2 AM............
Matt
Guest
"throwing a street sign through a car window". Good on you George. They need to crack down on shoulder charges, head contact, punches; they're clearly not the sharpest tools in the shed as it is.
Football_illiterate
Guest
hey nick - i understand england in particular has visa issues if you have a record, but does the same apply to france/japan??
Andrew
Guest
Agree - the lack of professionalism is stunning. Staying off the drink when you're injured is pro sport 101 - if I were Steve Price I might not tear up his contact, but I'd be planning to tear something else when I got my hands on him if he was drinking. And if he was sober(ish) - why didn't he at least drag Ferguson's brainless arse home when he (reportedly) was trying to get back into the joint after leaving post the incident? Clearly no respect for their clubs, NSW, Daley, women etc between them, but to me they don't really have a lot of respect for themselves or each other either. Dugan is a matter of time - he will screw up again, and it will be off to England with Ferguson (assuming they're not in prison by then).
Matt
Guest
How do you know he told the Dragons that? "Yeah I have appointments at 10pm tonight..."
eagleJack
Guest
After the Bulldogs Mad Monday incident last year there were calls for people to calm down as this is the "one" time the players get to let their hair down. I wrote that that was far from the case and these players are drinking to intoxication regularly. I was shutdown by many (Steve B the most vocal). Atleast we are starting to see what many of us have known for years. It's just that many of it has gone on behind closed doors away from the spotlight. The drinking culture of elite sports is still alive and well in this country.
TriangleFlatDog
Guest
The NRL has taken a stance on fighting on the field, a minor issue in my opinion. Now here is an issue that needs urgent attention - make an example of this idiot by rubbing him out of the game altogether and put the rest of the players on notice that bringing the game into disrupute will be punished accordingly
Nick
Roar Guru
He wont be able to if a conviction is recorded. Sucks to be him.
Nick
Roar Guru
Mate, as a fellow Dragons supporter, I cannot possibly see why the Dragons should stand by Dugan. His behaviour was prettly lousy irrespective of whether he was drunk or not. The facts are that he was out when he shouldn't have been. He lied to the Dragons and NSW about his Sunday plans saying he had 'appointments', and worst of all, he allowed his friend to get so drunk he wouldn't be in control of his actions and wouldn't have been able to turn up to training the next morning (before it was cancelled). Dugan was handed a lifeline, a fresh restart to his career and he spat in the Dragons face. He is a lousy friend to Ferguson as well.
toddm
Guest
Im normally the first person to say everyone is over the top when it comes to player behaviour and all the shenanigans that got on, but these 2 are dead set idiots. Why the hell would you ever put yourself in that situation and why would the NSW Origin management think it would be good watching them both walk out together and think that should be ok. Hope they both cop it, Im a blue as they come but I ain't got no sympathy for them. The people I do feel sorry for are the raiders fans that are about to watch another talent have to leave the club. Hope they cop it all from the media, the public and financially ........... and I hope if the blues get beaten in game 2 which now I think they will these to morons cop the brunt of it .......
turbodewd
Guest
In light of the Burgess car damage charges being laid in Cairns Id say we dont have a case of Mad Monday. Its Mad 2013! Dugan, Tamou, Burgess, Ferguson....its WWE....but real!
marayong tiger
Guest
Sounds like a Qld ploy. They will DO ANYTHING tO WIN SOO!.