IF, Dugan Leaves, Who should be his Fullback replacement?

[possm]

Yea his job is to get the best results for the club.. which in turn is the best results for him. But the question is what is the best result for the club??

Top 4/6/8 this year? Or potentially top 4/6/8 for coming years with a poor finish for this season.

At the end of the day which coach who is fighting for a contract/extension would go for option 2 and sacrifice their defining season for long term gain of a club who you may not even be with next year. I'm not saying having that mindset is right or wrong but it's definitely reality.

Sorry I can't agree. Selection issues with McCrone, Aitken, Milne and Mann. Clearly he does not want to give Field or Dufty a go at fullback.

There is a very important decision now faced by the Club. Do we go with out young fullbacks in 2018 or do we buy one. Do we go with our young forwards in 2018 or to we recruit a hard nosed prop.

The only way to make an informed decision is to give our young players a go to see if they can cope. If we buy a long term fullback, Dufty and Field will want out. If we buy a hard nosed prop, we may lose one or two of our young props.

 

[2010]

We don't know whether Millward has a plan B to cover Dugan leaving. If not and Millward has field or dufty as his option then they need to be given time on the field.
It would be a backward step to play Dugan for the remainder of the year.

 

[barry]

We don't know whether Millward has a plan B to cover Dugan leaving. If not and Millward has field or dufty as his option then they need to be given time on the field.
It would be a backward step to play Dugan for the remainder of the year.

Dugan wasn't even Millwards plan A

Plan A was always going to be Field with Dugan moving to the centres to accommodate for him.

This is what I heard in the offseason and Dugan confirmed it for me in one of his interviews when he said the club had plans for one of the younger guys coming through to play fullback

 

[hazzbeen]

We don't know whether Millward has a plan B to cover Dugan leaving. If not and Millward has field or dufty as his option then they need to be given time on the field.
It would be a backward step to play Dugan for the remainder of the year.

Mate agree , lets try someone else than Nighty , the solution to fullback could be staring right in our faces ....

 

[possm]

We don't know whether Millward has a plan B to cover Dugan leaving. If not and Millward has field or dufty as his option then they need to be given time on the field.
It would be a backward step to play Dugan for the remainder of the year.

This highlights the weaknesses in the current recruitment/pathways arrangement. Millward should report to the head coach and the head coach should report to the football committee who will have the final say on what is recommended to the Board. The football committee should be the managers of the salary cap.

 

[giboz71]

Paul Kent said on NRL 360 a while back, that the club was neither here nor there about Duges and that the perception was he wasn't that "coachable". Didn't pay too much attention to it really as it was just a journo's opinion, probably an off the cuff comment from someone associated with the club.

But the more we wait with Duges, even after we lose Packer, it starts to make me think there's an element of truth to it. Clearly our offer isn't acceptable to him so I'm guessing our position is "if he signs, great, we get a test centre cheap, if he goes, then so be it".

If that's the position (and I'm not saying it is), then surely Millward must have a Plan B up his sleeve? Either the grooming of Dufty, Field or Mann or another option that no one has thought of.

I seem to recall Millward stating we were making enquiries about another rep quality fullback (probably Tedesco at the time)? Hopefully that avenue is still open. Hayne is the only other player that fits that bill, but he's long odds signing with us IMO.

 

[possm]

Paul Kent said on NRL 360 a while back, that the club was neither here nor there about Duges and that the perception was he wasn't that "coachable". Didn't pay too much attention to it really as it was just a journo's opinion, probably an off the cuff comment from someone associated with the club.

But the more we wait with Duges, even after we lose Packer, it starts to make me think there's an element of truth to it. Clearly our offer isn't acceptable to him so I'm guessing our position is "if he signs, great, we get a test centre cheap, if he goes, then so be it".

If that's the position (and I'm not saying it is), then surely Millward must have a Plan B up his sleeve? Either the grooming of Dufty, Field or Mann or another option that no one has thought of.

I seem to recall Millward stating we were making enquiries about another rep quality fullback (probably Tedesco at the time)? Hopefully that avenue is still open. Hayne is the only other player that fits that bill, but he's long odds signing with us IMO.

If what you say is true, and I am of the opinion it could very well be true, then why wait so long to sign Packer. Packers deal could have been done last November, before the turmoil at the Tigers?

 

[giboz71]

If what you say is true, and I am of the opinion it could very well be true, then why wait so long to sign Packer. Packers deal could have been done last November, before the turmoil at the Tigers?

Well if Duges leaves and we do make a play for a rep quality fullback (like Hayne), we'll need all the cap space we can get.

Also, I don't think we expected the Tigers to offer that much for Packer. Woods would have been the last of the big 4 who I would have expected to leave.

 

[Dragons22]

Sorry about the "comma" issue lads, I worded the question differently at the beginning ,and forgot to remove it.

 

[chemics]

DUFTY

 

[epDragon62]

Dufty clearly is a great asset with the ball in hand.

What's he been like in defence for Illawarra?

 

[Dragons22]

I'm not a moderator or have any sort of authority here, but if we have a mod who is reading this, would it be possible to create some sort of 'player movements, signings and speculation' thread specifically for this shit.

I know we have a rumours thread but people seem to be ignoring it completely. I know it'll be a frustrating job for mods to collapse all of these threads seeing as there is a new one popping up every 4 seconds, but it just might keep the homepage a little cleaner and keep all of this speculation in one place. Especially the 47,000 Dugan threads that are currently active.

It's getting out of control.

Sorry pal, but since this is a Poll, I cannot post this on the Rumors Thread.

 

[Rocket Rod]

If we lose Duges we lose Duges
Nowhere near the end of the world. I admire him for the way he plays but he isn't an individual matchwinner which for the coin he is demanding he should be.
The club has either produced and or gotten great fullbacks for as long as I can remember.
Chang, Eadie, Goodwin, Stewart, Roberts, Patten, Potter,Hornby,Boyd,Dugan readily come to mind.
We have talent in our youth players coming through as we always have had and we should nurture them for next season and ready them physically and mentally for the challenge left by Dugans departure.
At this stage it may be better to move Dugan to right centre in the coming weeks which would also stiffen our right side defence and start blooding our future stars.
Will leave plenty of spare headroom in the cap if a strike player or players like winger or centre comes on the market.

 

[j0nesy]

Dugan wasn't even Millwards plan A

Plan A was always going to be Field with Dugan moving to the centres to accommodate for him.

This is what I heard in the offseason and Dugan confirmed it for me in one of his interviews when he said the club had plans for one of the younger guys coming through to play fullback

This is no doubt Millward's plan, and I agree with it (well Dufty or Field). However, It appears Mary doesn't agree. Mary really is a piss poor judge of football talent.

 

[giboz71]

I've said from Day 1, we won't win a comp with Duges at FB. The position has evolved over the years, and it requires a different skill set now. The last few FB premiership winners - Barba, Coote, GI, Boyd, Slater, Brett Stewart etc could lay on as many tries as they scored. That's just a fact of life.

That's not to say I don't want him at the Dragons. As a right centre, he's definitely one of the best in the game and I still hope he stays. But Millward has clearly made his statement clear. We need another option at FB to take us to the next level.

I agree with him. But who that FB is, we'll all have to wait and see?

 

[muzby]

I've said from Day 1, we won't win a comp with Duges at FB.

certainly not next year, anyway...

 

[Gm5]

Dragons on the hunt for new fullback with Josh Dugan expected to sign with the Sharks
DAVID RICCIO, The Daily Telegraph
May 17, 2017 7:58pm
Subscriber only
ONLY the uncertainty of the NRL salary cap has halted Josh Dugan’s move from St George Illawarra to Cronulla.

After five seasons with the Red V, Dugan now accepts that he will leave the Dragons at the end of the year to start a four-year deal with the Sharks.

Dugan’s management will meet with the premiers over the next 48 hours to finalise negotiations, which have been protracted due to the Sharks’ desire to work within the parameters of a salary cap, which is yet to be confirmed by the NRL beyond this season.

The Dragons’ recruitment team have made no secret of their preparedness to let Dugan go, steadfast that he only be retained at the worth of an NRL centre and not his preferred position of fullback.

Josh Dugan set to leave the Dragons for the Knights. Picture: Brett Costello
Having signed Ben Hunt from Brisbane for 2018 on over $1m a season and extended the contracts of captain Gareth Widdop and prop-forward Paul Vaughan, the Dragons bean-counters have proven reticent to wage a bidding war for Dugan and up their offer from which they first proposed last November.

Ironically, Dugan, 27, has been targeted by the Sharks to fill the void next season of right-centre and close friend Jack Bird — another former Dragons player — who is bound for the Broncos.

Dugan has a perception of missing games due to injury. However last season he played 17 matches for the Dragons, while in 2015 he featured in 22 games.

A huge supporter of Dugan, Dragons coach Paul McGregor will consider his departure as a blow, but will look to rising stars Jai Field and Matt Dufty next season.

Within the Wollongong brains-trust, South Sydney’s Alex Johnston has also been mentioned as a potential replacement for Dugan.

Ahead of being chosen by NSW coach Laurie Daley on Monday, Dugan’s management are hopeful of securing his future to ensure he joins the Blues with clarity and peace of mind.

Dugan, who lives in the Sutherland Shire, will be given the opportunity by Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan to be part of the club’s leadership group in 2018.

Josh Dugan’s departure will be a big blow to Dragons coach Paul McGregor. Pic. Phil Hillyard
Dugan has previously spoken about the self-development he has made as a person after a troubled start to his NRL career and had goals to captain the Dragons after being used as a mentor for many of the club’s next-generation.

Dugan’s versatility will also enable him to be used at fullback should current Cronulla no. 1 Valentine Holmes prove unavailable through injury.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Dragons recruitment manager Ian Millward conceded the club was resigned to losing Dugan.

“We’ve been in negotiations since November last year so it’s been an ongoing process but we’ve been advised by his management that they’ve got a rival club that has made a significant offer,” Millward said.




“They are very high expectations for us to meet over the length of the contract and the salary and we aren’t in a position at the moment to meet those high expectations.”

Sharks captain Paul Gallen said Dugan would be an ‘ideal’ signing.

“I think he would be a massive plus for our club,” Gallen said on radio last Tuesday.

“I think he is a great player obviously and he is a good person ... I think he can fit in our club really, really well.”

 

[SaintPauli]

My scepticism is Dugan wanted and asked to play center and ONLY changed his tune about staying at fullback
because it would bear on his new salary demand of 1 Million dollars.

Ironically Cronulla's head coach has already indicated claimed Dugan is second in line to fullback behind Valentine Homes! So Cronulla is paying Dugan 1 Million a year to play center? Wow that's make Dugan the most expensive center in the world. Is he worth 1 million as center at any club. Hell NO.

If true Dugan is to leave and if all the talk around town is true! I would promote Dufty or Mann effective immediate to fullback. Dugan can play and serve us as center until season & contract end . We can rotate Dufty and Mann and claim the best of the two moving into next year.

With our confirmed loss of Packer and likely Dugan our position for quality buys or maintain our quality juniors
is strong. I do encourage we blood our juniors Sele, Dufty, Leilua, Field etc.

If Dugan goes to Cronulla for 1 Million season as center, it will bite Cronulla in the foot big time when it comes to salary cap management and player retainment. So I say DO IT CRONULLA.

 

[Como Connection]

My scepticism is Dugan wanted and asked to play center and ONLY changed his tune about staying at fullback
because it would bear on his new salary demand of 1 Million dollars.

Ironically Cronulla's head coach has already indicated claimed Dugan is second in line to fullback behind Valentine Homes! So Cronulla is paying Dugan 1 Million a year to play center? Wow that's make Dugan the most expensive center in the world. Is he worth 1 million as center at any club. Hell NO.

If true Dugan is to leave and if all the talk around town is true! I would promote Dufty or Mann effective immediate to fullback. Dugan can play and serve us as center until season & contract end . We can rotate Dufty and Mann and claim the best of the two moving into next year.

With our confirmed loss of Packer and likely Dugan our position for quality buys or maintain our quality juniors
is strong. I do encourage we blood our juniors Sele, Dufty, Leilua, Field etc.

If Dugan goes to Cronulla for 1 Million season as center, it will bite Cronulla in the foot big time when it comes to salary cap management and player retainment. So I say DO IT CRONULLA.

MCGregor not interested in the club's future, only his own.
Will not take any risks I say!
CC

 

[Frank Facer]

My scepticism is Dugan wanted and asked to play center and ONLY changed his tune about staying at fullback
because it would bear on his new salary demand of 1 Million dollars.

Ironically Cronulla's head coach has already indicated claimed Dugan is second in line to fullback behind Valentine Homes! So Cronulla is paying Dugan 1 Million a year to play center? Wow that's make Dugan the most expensive center in the world. Is he worth 1 million as center at any club. Hell NO.

If true Dugan is to leave and if all the talk around town is true! I would promote Dufty or Mann effective immediate to fullback. Dugan can play and serve us as center until season & contract end . We can rotate Dufty and Mann and claim the best of the two moving into next year.

With our confirmed loss of Packer and likely Dugan our position for quality buys or maintain our quality juniors
is strong. I do encourage we blood our juniors Sele, Dufty, Leilua, Field etc.

If Dugan goes to Cronulla for 1 Million season as center, it will bite Cronulla in the foot big time when it comes to salary cap management and player retainment. So I say DO IT CRONULLA.

You could also add Field to the list of fullbacks that we could try this year, especially since Millward has said that Field is our future fullback. Field could be a good fullback too.