Bobby DIGital
Coach
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This article deserves it's own thread IMHO.
All the stars raving about Josh Dugan
LITTLE Preston Campbell handed over his man-of-the-match medal to Josh Dugan on Saturday night and whispered: "Thanks for play- ing, mate."
And so say all of us.
On a night when the All Stars turned it on for a near-capacity crowd on the Gold Coast, no one shone brighter than the Canberra fullback.
Jarryd Hayne must have been squirming a little in his lounge chair as he watched from home.
Dugan has played only two representative games. His first was in Country-City Origin last year - and he was man of the match then too.
A NSW Blues jumper beckons, but at whose expense? Hayne's? Kurt Gidley's?
"It can only be good for the Blues," Gidley said of the emergence of Dugan and the looming battle for NSW fullback position.
"It's nice to be finally in a position where we are talking about who we might have to leave out."
Apart from the strength of the All Stars concept and the merit in possibly taking it to a bigger venue, Dugan was all anybody wanted to talk about after the game.
Benji Marshall, himself highly influential in the NRL All Stars' 28-12 win over the Indigenous All Stars, didn't beat about the bush.
"He's one of the most exciting players in our game," Marshall said.
"If he keeps his head down and continues to work hard, he could become one of the greats." Gidley was equally impressed. "How good was he?" Gidley said. "He and Aku [Uate] were outstanding."
Dugan and Gidley were roomies during their week in camp and the Newcastle captain saw some of himself in the Raiders fullback.
"He's young and just full of all this energy - probably a bit like I was at his age," Gidley said.
The Queensland contingent also weighed in on Dugan and the possibility of facing him in Origin.
Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith sang his praises.
"He's an exciting young kid," Lockyer said. "He'd have to be close [to NSW selection]. "He was great in City-Country last year, so it's going to be hard to deny him a spot."
Indigenous skipper and Maroons halfback Johnathan Thurston said: "If they don't pick him, it's good for us." Dugan is not yet 21 but he oozes confidence.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...about-josh-dugan/story-e6frexnr-1226005379702
Discuss...
All the stars raving about Josh Dugan
- by Barry Toohey From: The Daily Telegraph
- February 14, 2011 12:00AM
LITTLE Preston Campbell handed over his man-of-the-match medal to Josh Dugan on Saturday night and whispered: "Thanks for play- ing, mate."
And so say all of us.
On a night when the All Stars turned it on for a near-capacity crowd on the Gold Coast, no one shone brighter than the Canberra fullback.
Jarryd Hayne must have been squirming a little in his lounge chair as he watched from home.
Dugan has played only two representative games. His first was in Country-City Origin last year - and he was man of the match then too.
A NSW Blues jumper beckons, but at whose expense? Hayne's? Kurt Gidley's?
"It can only be good for the Blues," Gidley said of the emergence of Dugan and the looming battle for NSW fullback position.
"It's nice to be finally in a position where we are talking about who we might have to leave out."
Apart from the strength of the All Stars concept and the merit in possibly taking it to a bigger venue, Dugan was all anybody wanted to talk about after the game.
Benji Marshall, himself highly influential in the NRL All Stars' 28-12 win over the Indigenous All Stars, didn't beat about the bush.
"He's one of the most exciting players in our game," Marshall said.
"If he keeps his head down and continues to work hard, he could become one of the greats." Gidley was equally impressed. "How good was he?" Gidley said. "He and Aku [Uate] were outstanding."
Dugan and Gidley were roomies during their week in camp and the Newcastle captain saw some of himself in the Raiders fullback.
"He's young and just full of all this energy - probably a bit like I was at his age," Gidley said.
The Queensland contingent also weighed in on Dugan and the possibility of facing him in Origin.
Darren Lockyer and Cameron Smith sang his praises.
"He's an exciting young kid," Lockyer said. "He'd have to be close [to NSW selection]. "He was great in City-Country last year, so it's going to be hard to deny him a spot."
Indigenous skipper and Maroons halfback Johnathan Thurston said: "If they don't pick him, it's good for us." Dugan is not yet 21 but he oozes confidence.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...about-josh-dugan/story-e6frexnr-1226005379702
Discuss...
