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I am incredibly concerned with Laurie Daley’s selection of Josh Dugan in the backline for State of Origin Game 2 at centre.
Jarryd Hayne owns the fullback position and it would be moronic to even suggest moving the man who carried New South Wales to their Game 1 win.
“But Dugan scored three tries in his last outing,” I hear some cry. Yes, yes he did score three tries. Against a Cronulla side missing 11 first graders. Not against Greg Inglis and the Maroons.
Against the Rabbitohs, who are real top four contenders, he was targeted and didn’t pass the test. Three tries were scored down his edge.
Dugan has never won an Origin game. He’s also a distraction in camp and didn’t show up to a December squad meeting. As a consequence he was also excluded from two further camps during the pre-season.
Paul Kent has pointed out that Dugan is a divisive player. Divisive players are not the way to win an Origin series. The players mentioned before Game 1 how close the group was.
The major concern is that Dugan will be shown up as an inexperienced centre and the likes of Johnathan Thurston and Inglis will toy with him all night. Thurston’s ability to hammer away at a side’s weakness is second to none in the NRL.
A seasoned centre can read the game well in both attack and defence. Will Hopoate has shown that this season. Apart from one poor game against Penrith, his reads in attack and defence have been very good. There’s a reason why Ken Sio has 10 tries so far this season with Hopoate next to him.
Laurie Daley has said Dugan ticked all the boxes. While I’m not privy to behind the scenes communication, from the outside looking in, Dugan is lacking in a couple of areas.
Firstly, he has struggled for form all season. Secondly, he will be playing out of position and has played just two games at centre. Thirdly, he’s never won an Origin match. It’d be interesting to hear which boxes he’s exactly ticked.
Saying “he’s dangerous with the ball” is not a qualification for Origin selection. He’s shown in the past that he has an inability to position support players which is a prerequisite for any centre.
Dugan does not simply fit into this Blues side. Have the Blues cost themselves a chance at breaking Queensland’s streak?
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