Aaron Woods disappointed by NSW duo's pub visit

Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson continue to cop backlash for their pre-State of Origin decider pub visit, with NSW teammate Aaron Woods expressing his disappointment.

Former Blues coach Ricky Stuart was scathing of the pair, saying they should have been banned from the Origin set-up four years ago.

The former Canberra teammates, who were both sacked by the Raiders before Stuart took over at the club, are being investigated after claims they spent eight hours at the Lennox Point Hotel on a day off.

Their trip to the pub was five days before one of the most anticipated battles in Origin history, won decisively by Queensland to clinch the series.

Disappointed: Aaron Woods of the NSW Blues.Credit: AAP

"I feel very sorry for (coach) Laurie (Daley) and I feel very sorry for the players that have actually busted themselves over the course of the last series to try and do the right things to try and create a culture," Stuart told Fox Sports' On The Couch With Sterlo.

"Yet again, to be let down by two people who continually let down individuals around them and their teammates."

Dugan has again downplayed his actions, saying the pair had been made scapegoats for the game-three loss.

But he conceded drinking at the pub may have been a mistake.

"Probably an error in judgement, but we didn't go overboard or misbehave," Dugan told News Corp Australia.

"(We) 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."

Blues forward Woods suggested the team's off-field conduct contributed to their game-three performance and any criticism directed at players was deserved.

"Bit disappointed they got on the piss all day but everybody prepares for games differently," Woods told Sky Sports Radio on Wednesday.

"We trained really well all week but it's probably the things that we do away from the training paddock that probably let us down.

"(They) probably shouldn't have done it in the limelight, maybe just stay low at the hotel if they wanted to have a beer.

"All these little things, people are just trying to pick up on and try to smash us with. But one to 17, we've got to put our hands up and just cop everything that's coming because we didn't give a good performance."

Stuart pointed to an incident before Origin II in 2013 which he believes should have marked the end of Dugan and Ferguson's Origin careers.

"Day one of the (second) camp they both turned up to camp drunk," Stuart said.

"They should have been eliminated from State of Origin there and then and this wouldn't have happened."

Corey Parker, who played 19 Origins for Queensland, said the duo's latest incident showed deeper problems with the Blues' culture.

"Until New South Wales have a united team that wants to put the team first, they're always going to struggle," Parker said.

AAP