NSW Blues centre Josh Dugan admits ‘error in judgment’ over drinking session

JOSH Dugan has conceded a boozy session five days before Origin III was a mistake but said he and Blake Ferguson had been made ‘the scapegoats’ for NSW’s defeat.

Dugan says he and Ferguson didn’t ‘go overboard’. (AAP Image/Regi Varghese)

NSW centre Josh Dugan has conceded a boozy session in Lennox Head five days before State of Origin III was an “error is judgment”.

However, he has claimed he “didn’t go overboard or misbehave” despite drinking with Blues teammate Blake Ferguson for six hours.

“Seems we’ve been made the scapegoats,” Dugan stressed.

He has also said he was considering legal action against Ray Hadley after the 2GB commentator alleged Dugan and Ferguson had been too hung-over to complete their media commitments on the Tuesday at the start of the Blues’ Origin II training camp.

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Dugan says he and Ferguson didn’t ‘go overboard’. (AAP Image/Regi Varghese)

The Daily Telegraph revealed Dugan and Ferguson were drinking at Lennox Point Hotel on the Friday before game three — a day off for players.

Via text message, Dugan told the Telegraph on Tuesday: “Mate, what I’ve said is the truth. Went for lunch and a few beers. Never missed any media commitments and we were home at a respectable hour along with turning up respectable to training.

“Probably an error in judgment but we didn’t go overboard or misbehave ... as the pub managers have already said. Seems we’ve been made the scapegoats.”

Dugan explained why he and Ferguson travelled 80km from the team base in Kingscliff to Lennox Head.

“We also went to Lennox because we have two good mates who live there,” he said. “Didn’t sneak off at all. Got there at 2-2.30 and left after the joker draw at 7.30-8.”

Ferguson hasn’t yet commented on the controversy. (Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Hadley claimed on air on Tuesday that Dugan and Ferguson were also out drinking together after a team dinner in Sydney before game two.

Dugan denied the allegation, saying: “I’m currently exploring avenues to get a retraction of comments from Ray Hadley as none of what he has said is true. If he doesn’t I’m exploring defamation.”

The Telegraph made Hadley aware of Dugan’s response.

“What players do on a day off is up to them but I wouldn’t think it is very responsible going to a pub and getting on the drink,” Hadley said.

NSWRL chief executive David Trodden has launched an investigation into the drama and a report will be sent to the board.

Former NSW skipper Paul Gallen questioned the actions of Ferguson and Dugan on Sydney radio.

“After a game, after a hard week of training, you go out and have a win, you’ve got a long, seven-day turnaround, I’m happy to have a drink,” Gallen told Sky Sports Radio.

“But when you’re preparing for a game of footy … I just don’t do it. I can’t talk about the leadership or culture of the team because I wasn’t a part of it.

“But … I think a lot of it comes back to individual preparation and how well you want to prepare for a game and how much this game means for you.”

Hadley also told his listeners about another incident in Kingscliff before Origin I.

“A journalist’s car was vandalised and graffitied in the lead-up to the game. His name and other names were written on the car in quite a derogatory manner,” Hadley claimed.

“Players were speculating they knew who did it because someone was arcing up about the aforementioned journalist and that they ‘needed to be dealt with’. We’ll never know though because there was no CCTV in the car park.”