New South Wales Rugby League boss Dave Trodden will investigate the circumstances around a pub visit by key players Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan on the Friday before the State of Origin decider.
The former Canberra Raiders teammates reportedly spent their day off drinking at Lennox Point Hotel in northern NSW, five days before the Blues suffered a heavy defeat in Brisbane.
The Blues were based in Kingscliff, about an hour’s drive from the hotel, and were given the day to themselves ahead of the crucial clash.
Trodden confirmed he would question team officials in the review of the team’s 2-1 series loss to the Maroons.
“It hasn’t been raised with the team management,” Trodden told News Corp Australia.
“I’d heard the rumours. We do a review of all these things in the immediate wash-up of all Origin campaigns and I’ll be asking questions about it.”
Dugan confirmed to News Corp Australia that he was at the hotel visiting friends but said there was no misbehaviour.
“We were with two of our good mates having lunch and a few beers,” Dugan said.
“We were home at a respectable hour and there’s nothing more to it — it was six days (sic) out from the game.”
The Blues’ culture was further called into question on NRL 360 on Friday night by Matthew Johns, the former New South Wales five-eighth labelling the Blues “classless”.
Johns was disappointed that the the plan to start David Klemmer ahead of Andrew Fifita in the Origin decider was scrapped.
“It was a good tactical move (to start Klemmer) … that was the right decision,” Johns said.
“If Fifita doesn’t want to swallow it, say ‘see you later’. It’s stunning and it’s symbolic of what’s wrong with New South Wales.”
“Compare that to Billy Slater, (being left out in) game one … he handled that with class. Whereas our side of the fence is classless.”
Blues adviser Peter Sterling confirmed on Friday that the original plan was for Klemmer to start, but did not know why that changed.
Cee
Guest
Not particularly considering he got caught with drugs on him. So his credibility is shot.
Big Daddy
Guest
Surely the team manager would have organized some sort of activity for the team or the team players would have organized something between themselves. Instead of being part of a team these two fools decided to do their own thing. Dugan will fit in real well with Gallen and fifita at the sharks.
Big Daddy
Guest
This will get swept under the rug. Trodden is in the same mould as Greenberg - same as all officials in NSW rugby league. Its like getting picked in sport teams it's harder to get in than out.
Big Daddy
Guest
If what was said on morning radio (2gb) is true both players should never play for NSW again. And if officials new about it show them the door as well. Too many egos and hangers on in NSW coaching and admin staff. Today's word is called bonding for getting on the turps.
Bugo
Guest
I love beer, beer is great. All should have access to beer. Unless you are about to be paid $30,000 to play 1 game of league on a wednesday night. Their body is there tool of the trade and needs to be it perfect condition for the rigours of origin. Anyone who says alcohol doesn't effect the body in any way 5 days out from a game is kidding themselves. Not to much to ask for 30 grand. Blues fans deserve better.
Hoy
Roar Guru
If I supported the NSW team, or any team for that matter, and I watched them play badly, then found out that some players were out drinking beers during the week leading up to playing bad, I would be pretty upset. I would be upset because the perception is there that they didn't do everything possible to win that game. We'll never know whether the beers made a difference or not, but the fact we do know is that not having the beers would have been a better option all 'round and would have given us faith that the team did everything possible to win the game.
Emcie
Roar Guru
but... redemption... and stuff...also he won some games I think so thats important ...
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
They won the game and the 11th out of 12 series so no one cares. Perform and you can get away with more, keep losing and everything you do will come under scrutiny.
nopuritan
Guest
Dugan and Ferguson on the turps 5 days out from the game? as Miles Davis put it, "So What"? Unless they really couldn't train the next day. and if that was the case they should have been dropped on the spot and two new players called up. Of course if the NSW training camp was in Walgett or Moree they would have been more visible and less tempted to over indulge (if they did). Get your team away from holiday resorts you dingbats. At least until they win something. As for Klemmer or Fifita in the starting side. Obviously it should have been Klemmer. I used to think of him as a hotheaded young thug, but these days i think he has matured and is a genuinely fearsome forward with avery cool head on his shoulders. Fifita on the other hand, seems to leave his very good "A" game at home most of the time. For NSW what's really troubling is that if Daley asked or told Fifita he was on the bench and Fifita refused and then Daley folded; well Daley as a coach is demonstrably weak. On that basis alone, never mind his pitiful coaching record, he should be gone!
JoM
Roar Rookie
Except apparently Fifita was never told he wasn't starting and Daley will be making a statement this week regarding this. Usual media garbage. Dugan is going to sue if Hadley doesn't make an apology for false information. We will see I guess.
tigranes
Guest
Emcie...I think Fifita's credibilty left town a long time ago...
Suechi
Guest
Fergurson must have still been hangover during the game - looked like he was seeing 3 Valentine Holmes! and missed them all.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
These two bozos are just the symptom of a poor culture with some of the players in the NSW camp. Remind me again how much they get paid for the S of O games on top of their already over-inflated salaries. I bet there were a number of fair dinkum players who were spending some time with their families or just chilling, without 8 hours of drinking and gambling. These two need a big black mark on their files, "Not suitable for Representative Footy".
The Spectator
Guest
It's just lunch and a few beers! Lol, no wonder NSW keep losing, apperently in 5 days time the biggest origin of all time, a decider, a game they need to win cause they blew the 2nd one, a hole state riding your wave praying you get us over the line, no important enough for those 2 to miss a beer though, line through the pair of em. Daley letting Fafafafafaittatatata say where and when is playing, line through the pair of em. At kick off of game 3 the lack of energy made me think some things gone awry in camp here. Smh!
Gray-Hand
Guest
Do you actually think the beers made them play badly? Or are you concerned that other people might mistakenly believe that the beers made them play badly?
Gray-Hand
Guest
They don't start training at 7am during the season. Think about it. Players have to have their bodies fresh for kick off time, which is usually at night. They aren't going to be at their peak capability if they woke up at 6:00am. So they get out of bed a lot later than the rest of us on game day. And they try to keep their sleep cycles regular throughout the rest of the week. The practical effect of a player's conduct is far more important than the 'perception' of their behaviour. Especially when the perception is distorted by ignorance.
klee Gluckman
Guest
Are you saying: Daley: I want to start you on the bench Andrew, Fifita: No Daley: Okay. Seems strange.
Hoy
Roar Guru
As I said above, Paulo, I agree, it is about perception. If you think your team is doing the best they can, but they lose, you can cop that, even if your bloke has a shocker... but what if you found out your bloke had a shocker, they lost, AND you found out that he was sinking beers during the week? Then the perception is that they didn't do everything possible to win that game, regardless of how they played... and that is always going to upset fans isn't it? The beers may or may not have had something, or probably nothing to do with how they played like busteds... but the perception is that the beers during the week, plus how they played, looks terrible.
Craig
Guest
If you go to the pub at lunchtime and leave at 8pm, you have either had a least a dozen beers or you're on the punt. (or both). This and the Fifita thing it all needs to come back to a "no d-heads policy" that the blues need to have. Look at the last 10 years. I wont name them, but some of their names end in atmough, allen, ird, ugan, ifita, erguson, 'donnell, just to mention a handful. Kevvie stood down how many blokes? 6? From the potential to be picked for 12 months after a reasonably minor indiscretion. It probably cost Napa a chance to debut a year earlier.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Thats what I mean, it's up to the players and coach, not the public to address it, if it needs to be addressed at all. Which is up to them, not us to decide. The ones inside the camp will know exactly what happened too whereas we don't.