The Canberra Raiders have axed stars Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson from Friday’s night’s crucial match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs for alleged alcohol breaches.
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It’s alleged Ferguson showed up to a training session late last week still under the affect of alcohol, while Dugan had allegedly been drinking while trying to recover from an abdominal strain. Both were in breach of the club’s alcohol policy.
Furner has already demonstrated this season that abuse of alcohol will not be tolerated, placing the entire NRL squad on an alcohol ban for three weeks following their loss to the Brisbane Broncos in round seven.
That ban was only lifted following Canberra’s last round victory over the Parramatta Eels.
‘‘It’s an important part of the season for us and we need to make sure everyone in the playing group is 100 per cent committed to the team,” Furner said.
“We needed to make a stand in regards to our discipline and this shows we’re serious about the standards we set for ourselves as a club.
“Blake and Josh know they’ve done the wrong thing and have accepted the consequences.”
Dugan and Ferguson are two of Canberra’s biggest stars and their absence will hurt a team already hit by injury. Josh Papalii is still battling to recover from nerve damage to his forearm, while Dane Tilse is also in doubt.
The Raiders will be sweating on the fitness of captain and prop David Shillington, who lines up for Queensland tomorrow night in the State of Origin.
