NSW Blues to investigate claim Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan went drinking before Origin decider

THE NSW Blues are to investigate claims Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan broke from team camp before Origin III to go on an alcohol-fuelled bender in scenes reminiscent of their infamous Cruiser incident.

• KENT: Blues culture has gone wrong

THE NSW Blues will investigate claims notorious NRL bad boys Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan broke from team camp before the Origin III disaster to go on an alcohol-fuelled bender.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the former Canberra Raiders teammates, who infamously took ‘selfies’ of themselves drinking vodka Cruisers on the roof of their Canberra home in 2013, have been at it again.

Ferguson and Dugan spent the Blues’ day off at the Lennox Point Hotel on the Friday before the game, drinking for several hours, according to locals.

“They got here after lunchtime and stayed until about 8pm,” said one of the hotel patrons.

Ferguson and Dugan could be in for some trouble. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)

The hotel is 80 kilometres — an hour’s drive — from where the Blues were based at Kingscliff and where the rest of the players enjoyed the day off.

It is not clear who drove the pair to and from the hotel. Locals say the pair were skylarking but not behaving inappropriately.

NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden says he will question team officials in the review of the team’s 2-1 series loss to the Maroons.

“It hasn’t been raised with the team management,” Trodden said.

The infamous Vodka Cruiser rooftop picture which ended Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson’s days of playing together at the Canberra Raiders.

“I’d heard the rumours. We do a review of all these things in the immediate wash-up of all Origin campaigns and I’ll be asking questions about it.”

General manager of Lennox Point Hotel Nick Walheim confirmed the players were on the premises for more than eight hours.

“They had lunch at the restaurant and then a few beers and a bet until a bit after eight o’clock. We didn’t have any complaints about their behaviour. I guess if I was in their position going into an Origin game, I’m not sure I’d be drinking.

“But if they’d won, no one would have cared.”

The pair were not reported to have done anything illegal. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

NSW coach Laurie Daley did not appear in his usual slot on Fox Sports’ NRL360 and could not be contacted to comment.

The Daily Telegraph received an email about the two players on the day of the game.

“On Friday night 7th July two of the NSW Origin team Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan were at the Lennox Point Hotel,” wrote the reader, who asked not to be named.

“Both were drunk and acting like clowns. Why were these players allowed out for a big alcohol night only days away from the game?”

Dugan has confirmed he was at the hotel visiting friends but denies misbehaving.

“We were with two of our good mates having lunch and a few beers,” Dugan said.

“We were home at a respectable hour and there’s nothing more to it — it was six days (sic) out from the game.”

The Lennox Point Hotel where Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson went before Origin III.

Ferguson could not be contacted and didn’t answer text messages. The Roosters winger is back at home living with his wife and two children after a brief separation.

His off-field behaviour has been the subject of much discussion at the Roosters this year, causing a delay in his contract negotiations.

Another patron said one of the players had his shirt off in the TAB area.

Other NSW players played golf, shopped or joined their families while Dugan and Ferguson spent the day in Lennox Heads.

News of the two players going on a bender raises further questions about the Blues leadership.

It also adds further pressure to the NSWRL already dealing with the blow up over the non-selection of Bulldogs forward Dave Klemmer in the Blues starting line-up.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed Daley told Klemmer he would start the game with Sharks forward and Origin I man-of-the-match Andrew Fifita on the bench.