Phil Rothfield responds to Andrew Fifita and Josh Dugan’s foul-mouthed rant

IF Andrew Fifita and Josh Dugan want to carry on like knuckleheads, they can expect me to expose them every time. And their feral behaviour is just making things worse for the club that pay their wages, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.

THE Cronulla Sharks are desperately looking for a new major sponsor for next season.

Having two boofhead players jumping onto social media, swearing and carrying on like feral fools doesn’t help. Not when you’re asking for $1 million.

Forget the fact your columnist was on the receiving end of their diatribe.

This has nothing to do with it.

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I write 1200 snippet items a year in my Sunday What’s the Buzz column. Not all of it is complimentary.

You dish it out and expect to cop some back.

If Josh Dugan is swearing that loudly to offend female patrons and be thrown out of Cronulla RSL, I will expose him. If he goes on a booze bender during an Origin camp I’ll write about it.

Likewise if Andrew Fifita supports a coward punch killer, abuses a junior referee or threatens a motorist in a road rage on Taren Point bridge.

It’s far worse than labelling me “a complete f … wit” on a podcast that might attract a couple of thousand viewers.

I am a long-time Cronulla Sharks member and supporter often accused of covering up player misbehaviour in the Shire.

This is wrong. Every year I pay for my reserved season tickets because, if required, I can hold the players, coaches or officials accountable without being compromised.

Dugan and Fifita are A-grade knuckleheads.

To be criticised by them is actually a badge of honour.

It is the club I’m worried about more than anything else.

For months chief executive Barry Russell has been aware major sponsor Opal Solar will not be on the front of the Sharks’ jersey next year.

He has been banging on boardroom doors across town looking for corporate dollars all season.

So far to no avail.

Seriously, who would want their company name emblazoned across the chests of Dugan and Fifita, perennial troublemakers? No thank you.

At least Russell issued both players with warning letters on Thursday.

The club will no longer tolerate their foul-mouthed social media appearances.

On Sunday your columnist will be there at Shark Park for the match against the Newcastle Knights, our last home game of the season.

Top deck of the Ettingshausen stand, same seat as always.

A top-four position is up for grabs in the last two games.

Despite Dugan and Fifita, I’ll be cheering for them.

The club is bigger than any individual.

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Originally published as Phil Rothfield responds to Andrew Fifita and Josh Dugan’s foul-mouthed rant