RUGBY LEAGUE
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Ben Creagh is one of a host of NRL captains still unsigned for 2014, but the St George Illawarra skipper is more interested in putting a spark in the Dragons' stuttering season.
The 202-game veteran joins Jamie Lyon (Manly), Kevin Kingston (Penrith), Michael Crocker (Souths) and Anthony Minichiello (Roosters) as club leaders still unsigned for next season.
Wests Tigers' Robbie Farah abandoned that list after penning a four-year contract extension on Thursday.
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Quizzed on whether he planned on fast-tracking his own deal and following Farah's lead as a one-club stalwart, Creagh said: "I'm honestly not worried about it at all.
"I've got no plans to leave and I don't want to leave the club. It's not a worry for me and hopefully it will be sorted out.
"It really doesn't bother me [at the moment] and I'd love to finish my career at the club."
Creagh's signature is one of several St George Illawarra brass will attempt to secure in the coming months.
Other high-profile Dragons such as Matt Cooper, Nathan Fien, Jamie Soward and Michael Weyman also boast deals that expire at the end of the season.
While Creagh's signature should be a mere formality, the club's new on-field leader said he hasn't been deterred by the Dragons' failure to win any of their four matches, trials and regular season matches alike, so far under his tenure.
"I enjoyed it all pre-season and am enjoying it at the start of the season," the 27-year-old said.
"I've got a fair bit more responsibility on my shoulders now, being captain, and I knew that heading into the year."
Creagh will lead the Dragons as they aim to end their Canberra hoodoo against the Raiders in the national capital tomorrow night.
The Dragons haven't beaten the Raiders in Canberra since 2000, meaning none of the current squad has enjoyed victory in the ACT while wearing a St George jersey, including Matt Cooper, who made his debut for the Red V in 2000.
"I got injured for that game," Cooper deadpanned.
You scramble for the record books thinking Cooper is surely having you on. He’s not.
He played 10 games in his first season, but not the 30-20 win at the start of another chilly Canberra July.
And then you really do contemplate whether hoodoos exist.
‘‘I honestly don’t think the team this year cares about the hoodoo,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘We’re not even fazed about that. It’s obviously been a long time for us, but we haven’t even thinking about that. It’s just another game for us and another game we have to win.’’
Adds skipper Creagh: ‘‘I think every year we go down there we’re better equipped. This year is as good as any to go down there and have a good game.
‘‘We’ve been so close on many occasions down there – we just haven’t been able to finish the job off.’’
If we are to believe the cries emanating from the Dragons camp that there is no such thing as a Canberra hoodoo, surely this year is the circuit-breaker.
Against a team who has just axed their highest-profile player, indefinitely banned his rooftop-raving accomplice and coming off a performance so embarrassing it made the Labor Party look like the Great Wall Of China in the unity stakes.
‘‘It’s pretty tough on a side when your best player gets sacked and another one gets stood down then you get a fairly big loss under your belt,’’ Cooper said on the prospect of a galvanised Raiders. ‘‘They’ll be doing what they can do to band together and try to get their first win. It’s going to be tough for both sides because they’re both going to be hungry for a win.’’
Cooper finds an accomplice in Creagh when he talks about the prospect of a Canberra light years better than the first two weeks.
‘‘Any time you lose players from your club for whatever reason – it’s always going to toughen up the playing squad,’’ he said.
‘‘They had a loss last weekend too so they’re going to be highly motivated to have a good game this week as well.’’
If the Dragons are to end their hoodoo horrors, they’ll have to improve on a meagre three-try haul from their first two outings.