Josh Dugan squabbled all year over his value as a "world class player", but Paul McGregor's $500,000 gamble to recall the repentant Dragons centre could deliver the club he is about to walk out on a huge windfall.
St George Illawarra's high-stakes final-day-of-the-regular-season clash with the Bulldogs is being likened to a $500,000 roll of the dice from McGregor, who is set to rush the Australian and NSW star back into his side for the win-or-bust clash against the Bulldogs.
![Worth: It's time for Josh Dugan to show what he's worth to the Dragons.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171005195058im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/9/c/2/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy9f9j.png/1504333873039.jpg)
Taking into account finals prizemoney, projected merchandise sales, increased season ticket purchases, corporate hospitality, cash incentives for gate and attendance targets being met and sponsor exposure, the Dragons could net a $500,000 bonus from sneaking into the finals.
And the irony of Dugan – who argued his contract value should be pegged to that of a gun No.1 rather than a centre, before signing a four-year deal with the Dragons' arch-rivals Cronulla – helping St George Illawarra's bottom line is lost on few.
The 27-year-old has been in the headlines all week after McGregor axed him just hours before last week's season-saving win over the Panthers for missing the team bus to Pepper Stadium.
McGregor confirmed on Saturday a "dangerous" Dugan would line up in the centres for the all-or-nothing clash at ANZ Stadium, which the Dragons just need to win to ensure a finals spot.
He was otherwise in little mood to discuss Dugan's indiscretion, instead putting the Bulldogs on notice that his strike centre was primed for his biggest game of the year.
"He's real focused and determined," McGregor said. "And that's dangerous for the opposition.
![Troubled: At his best Dugan is world class, but has been inconsistent throughout his career.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171005195058im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/5/4/e/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy9f9j.png/1504334257536.jpg)
"[The Panthers incident] has been forgotten. He missed the bus and didn't play the game. We've moved forward. I'd really not to prefer to talk about it."
But he will be the only name on most fans' lips at Sydney Olympic Park, particularly if his exploits can return the Dragons to the finals for the first time since 2015 and the financial rewards that come with it.
Asked about the impact his skipper, Gareth Widdop, and Dugan could have on the Dragons under the finals-like pressure cooker, McGregor said: "They're experienced marquee players so in games like we have [on Sunday] they stand tallest.
"We need seven-and-a-half pluses out of 10 [performances] across the board. If we do that and you have one or two that come out and get nines you're on your way to a win.
"It's important that discipline on and off the field is at its best at this time of year. It is going into finals footy. The most disciplined sides win close games of footy. Right now our discipline needs to be at its best. It was gameday and someone overstepped the mark, but we're still here."
McGregor will revert Kurt Mann back to halfback and refused to guarantee any game time for Josh McCrone, who has shifted back to the bench, if circumstances didn't suit.
"If he's not needed he's not needed," McGregor said. "He knows his role within this squad. We can adjust on the run pretty quickly.
"Our for-and-against is exceptional and it's showed where we've improved as a football team. We've lost some games that we needed to win, but now it's time to forget about all that and go out there and play to our potential against a team that would like to go out with a couple of players leaving the club playing a tough brand of footy."
0 comments
New User? Sign up