Opinion
Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan haven’t shared a dressing room since they thought the ideal preparation for the 2017 Origin decider was an eight-hour session at the Lennox Point Hotel.
Shock horror, New South Wales lost that game, but I’m willing to gamble on the pair again in the rugby league rookie cup.
And if the headline-hogging ex-Raiders teammates can avoid the back page of the newspapers, the class of 2009 stands a good chance of progressing deep in this much less important competition.
Fullback: Josh Dugan
His body (and his predilection for Vodka Cruisers) has let him down at times, but Canberra product Josh Dugan was a seriously good fullback when he peaked at the Dragons in 2015.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Wingers: Gerard Beale and Jharal Yow Yeh
Beale and Yow Yeh began together at the Broncos in 2009 before their careers walked different paths.
Yow Yeh cemented a spot in extremely strong Queensland and Australia sides in 2011, before a horror broken leg cruelly cut short his NRL stint before his 23rd birthday.
Beale, on the other hand, is still running around, tallying 200-plus games for the Broncos, Dragons, Sharks, Warriors and Kiwis.
Current Bronco and PNG rep David Mead could easily have been picked, too.
Centres: Jarrod Croker (captain) and Blake Ferguson
Dugan will be happy to see Ferguson on the rooftop… sorry, on the team sheet, as well as Raiders teammate Jarrod Croker — an ultra-consistent competitor and goal-kicker.
Five-eighth: Kieran Foran
Another star whose influence has been blunted by injury, Foran was one of the game’s elite playmakers during his formative years in Manly.
The Eels, Warriors, and Bulldogs never saw the best of the Kiwi veteran but it’s nice to see him winding back the clock at Brookvale in 2021.
Halfback: James Maloney
Wherever James Maloney goes, he wins. He only played four games in Melbourne’s triumphant 2009 campaign before steering the Warriors to a rare grand final in 2011, the Roosters to a premiership in 2013, the Sharks to another in 2016, the Panthers back up the table, and now Catalans to the summit of the Super League ladder.
‘Mercenary’ is an unfair description. ‘Hired gun’ fits the bill. And the success Maloney inevitably secures is worth every cent.
Is James Maloney’s career somewhat underrated? (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Props: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and James Tamou
The front row combines a couple of Kiwis… including one who represented Australia.
While ‘Aussie Jim’ Tamou’s efforts for North Queensland transcended eligibility laws to secure a swag of NSW and Kangaroos jerseys, Manly first-gamer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves — who quickly became a stalwart of the Roosters’ decade of dominance — was content representing his homeland.
Hooker: Ben Hunt
After his effort at dummy-half in Origin 3 this season — and in the absence of strong alternatives unless you want Josh McGuire to reprise his hooking role for Samoa at the 2014 World Cup — Hunt is the standout candidate for the number nine jersey here.
Second-rowers: Josh McGuire and Alex Glenn
McGuire grabs a spot in the second row, linking up with Broncos teammate Alex Glenn — a Kiwi rep who’s accumulated nearly 300 NRL appearances throughout an unswerving 13 seasons at Red Hill.
Locks: Trent Merrin
Dragons debutant Trent Merrin earns the lock spot as much for his abilities as a ball-playing back-rower as his contribution to the rugby league vernacular. Now, blokes aren’t punching above their weight — they’re batting Merrins.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Bench: Lewis Brown, Shaun Fensom, Chris McQueen, Leeson Ah Mau
New Zealander Lewis Brown is the perfect bench utility, and Canberra forward Shaun Fensom is the walking definition of ‘won’t let you down’, so he’s a solid pick.
The rep jerseys belonging to Chris McQueen (Queensland) and Leeson Ah Mau (New Zealand and Samoa) give them the edge over the likes of Dave Tyrrell, Jeremy Latimore, Jason Clark and Tim Mannah.
Raiders rookie Daniel Vidot — sorry, I should say WWE wrestler Xyon Quinn — adds some star power as 18th man.
Coach: David Furner
Canberra’s David Furner, Brisbane’s Ivan Henjak, Canterbury’s Kevin Moore and Newcastle’s Rick Stone all began their ill-fated coaching careers in 2009.
Henjak and Moore had the tricky tasks of replacing Wayne Bennett and Steve Folkes respectively, while Stone followed Brian Smith.
Raiders CEO Don Furner handed his brother David the Canberra clipboard after Neil Henry departed for North Queensland, having led the Green Machine to a Terry Campese-inspired sixth-place finish in 2008.
That Furner survived five seasons while the others succumbed sooner hands him this gig, too.
Verdict
An excellent spine — especially around their collective peak in 2015 — supported by some elite enforcers is a time-tested formula for success that could power the class of ‘09 deep into September.
Speaking of, I’ll reveal my top five in my next article, as well as which rookie class takes out the crown for the first decade of the 2000s.
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