Josh Dugan‘s contract D-Day, Jack De Belin set to sign new deal
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
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ST George Illawarra are poised to push forward a deadline on Josh Dugan to make a decision on his future — and D-Day could come in the next fortnight.
In the wake of the Dragons’ thumping 42-10 win over Penrith, The Daily Telegraph can also reveal tough lock Jack de Belin has all but agreed to a new three-year deal that should be finalised within days.
However, the future of Dugan and skipper Gareth Widdop is not nearly as clear. The Dragons have made no secret of the fact they want to keep Dugan and are prepared to make him potentially the highest-paid centre in the game.
It is understood the club has tabled an offer worth $750,000 a season for three years.
The Dragons are prepared to make Josh Dugan the highest paid centre in the game. Picture: Mark Evans
But unless the 26-year-old agrees that his long-term future is at centre and not fullback, there is every chance the Dragons will cut their losses and head in a new direction.
While the Dragons are prepared to adopt a wait-and-see approach with Widdop, negotiations with Dugan are heading towards a more immediate outcome.
The club is standing firm on its belief Dugan’s future is in the centres, where he plays for NSW and Australia. If Dugan and Widdop were both to leave at the end of the season, it would free up in the vicinity of $1.5 million a season to chase rival players.
That sort of money would put plenty of potential targets on the Dragons’ radar, considering some of the elite players coming off contract this year.
Negotiations between the Dragons and Josh Dugan are heading towards an imminent outcome. Picture. Phil Hillyard
Widdop has already knocked back the offer that was put to him, while it is believed Dugan’s management is pushing for $1 million a season.
Dragons head of recruitment Ian Millward said the club wanted to keep Dugan but also had to be realistic in respect to the salary cap.
“We are in negotiations but there is a value we put on (Dugan) and there is a value we put on his position,” Millward said.
It is believed the Dragons have a rival No. 1 in their sights but right now they are playing their cards close to their chest.
Another option would be to groom young Jai Field as a future No. 1, while Widdop also has experience playing fullback at Melbourne.
The Dragons are prepared to adopt a wait-and-see approach with Gareth Widdop. Picture: Mark Evans
There is speculation Dugan has told his management to consider all options and French rugby union has been mentioned.
Widdop and Dugan were both outstanding in the Dragons’ win over Penrith but the club has formed a view it needs to plan for 2018 and beyond.
While Dugan would no doubt be in hot demand from NRL rivals, it will be interesting to see if he can attract a better offer than $750,000 a season elsewhere.
It was only last year the Dragons held their ground on Benji Marshall who knocked back $350,000 before accepting less to salvage his career in Brisbane.
The Dragons have been crunched from $101 to $34 with the TAB in premiership betting.