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RUGBY LEAGUE
Game-breaking fullback Josh Dugan will be part of St George Illawarra's whirlwind trip to England after scans cleared him of any serious injury to his left knee on Monday.
There were fears that Dugan would not only miss the UK trip but perhaps the opening rounds of the NRL season after hyper-extending his knee early in Saturday's Charity Shield.
Dugan missed the opening five rounds of the season after injuring the same knee in the corresponding clash last year but club physio Dan Lawson confirmed on Monday that Dugan suffered just a minor sprain and won't miss the World Club Series clash with Warrington.
He will depart with the team as planned on Tuesday after being named at fullback in Paul McGregor's 20-man squad.
The Dragons will draw from a deep reservoir of experience on the hit and run mission with seven members of the squad boasting World Club Challenge victories.
Skipper Ben Creagh, Jason Nightingale and Trent Merrin are all survivors of the Dragons 21-15 victory over Wigan in the 2011 match while new recruit Dane Nielsen picked up a winner's medal in Melbourne's 18-10 victory over Leeds in 2010.
Gareth Widdop was part of the Storm's 18-14 win over the Rhinos in 2013 while former Manly pair Heath L'Estrange and George Rose also picked up the silverware in the Sea Eagles' 28-20 victory over Leeds in 2009.
A look at the respective club's results following the 48-hour trip so close to the start of the NRL season reveals mixed fortunes. The Dragons won 10 of their first 11 games to start the 2011 season but faded badly winning just four of their final 13 games before bowing out with a 13-12 loss to Brisbane in the finals.
Having not played deep into last year, Creagh said it's unlikely this trip will cause a similar fade over the latter half of the season, insisting it will be a good springboard into the opening NRL rounds.
Creagh remembers the huge buzz after their win over Wigan in 2011.
"We didn't finish the year too well but [the England trip] was certainly a good start for us.
"Getting away from this training paddock where we've been the last 14-15 weeks will be a positive, taking us out of our comfort zone a bit and playing against a quality Warrington side will be the best possible preparation for the start of the season."
The Dragons will kick off the expanded six-team series against Warrington on Friday week with Brisbane to play Super League grand finalists Wigan a day later.
St George Illawarra’s 20-man World Club Series squad (to play Warrington on February 21 (AEDT): Josh Dugan, Eto Nabuli, Euan Aitken, Peter Mata’utia, Jason Nightingale, Gareth Widdop, Benji Marshall, Rory O’Brien, Mitch Rein, Leeson Ah Mau, Tyson Frizell, Joel Thompson, Ben Creagh (c), Trent Merrin, Jack de Belin, Heath L’Estrange, George Rose, Dane Nielsen, Dylan Farrell, Jake Marketo.
