Instead the Mercury was directed to all to regular statement from “the Club” that was sent out via email on Tuesday. That’s Doust’s perogative and it’s certainly not the job of any club CEO to be at the beck and call of a ravenous media pack. 

In reality it’s the fans, with genuine anger and fear for the club’s future, who are being ignored and it’s the coach and players being left to whither in the face of criticism without management batting an eyelid. 

Tuesday’s statement followed an ‘open letter’ from “the Club” that bobbed up in paid members’ inboxes prior to the clash with the Tigers. So, just to make sure we’re speaking the same language, Kickoff henceforth refer to Doust in the guise by which he most prefers to address the fans.

A recent News Corp survey revealed that more than 90 per cent  of 4500 respondents have lost faith in ‘the Club’s’ ability to run the Dragons. Roughly the same number wanted ‘the Club’ to fall on his sword for reasons ranging from a huge financial debt to the NRL to stadium policy, to long-term recruitment and on-field performance.

Those resignation calls are loud enough without this column adding to them but a specific look at ‘the Club’s’ handling of police charges leveled at two players this week is an illustration of the utter lack of leadership that has left the fans so persistently enraged.

Tim Lafai and Siliva Havili will have their day in court and tearing up contracts on the spot would be premature. But the fact they were out at 5am getting in strife in the middle of the season – in Lafai’s case the week in which he was dropped to reserve grade –warrants standing down. Bravo. 

The failure, however, has been ‘the Club’s’ silence on the matter. He may see it as not bowing to the demands of a feral media pack but ‘the Club’ was more than willing to throw his coach and captain to the same wolves. 

Since the charges emerged captain Gareth Widdop has had to front the media as has Paul McGregor. Both have done so admirably without ‘the Club’ lifting a finger to take any public heat off either of them. They’re under the pump for results already; they deserve more from their boss.

McGregor has stated often this year that it’s his job to coach and that’s his focus. He should be judged on how well he does that and he has been – harshly of late. He copped an absolute grilling in the post-match press conference after the Tigers loss but unlike ‘the Club’ he fronted, like he does every week. He hasn’t bristled at the questions either.

What he shouldn’t have to do is constantly answer for situations not of his making or within his control – like the decision to stand Lafai and Havili down this week. It wasn’t his call, but he was left to explain it to the media and by extension the fans. At other times this season he’s fielded questions about the club’s stadium policy, player contracts, long-term recruitment strategy and most recently player discipline while ‘the Club’ sits idle without a word. By refusing to be accountable for any of it, ‘the Club’ is leaving McGregor to cop the flak for all of it.

Defenders will say ‘the Club’ loves the Dragons and they’d probably be right. But take a look back at recent rugby league history and at every dysfunctional club you’ll find someone, or some people, slowly loving their club to death.