The two St George Illawarra players involved in the Dragons' latest off-field drama in Mudgee have vowed to repay the club with impressive on-field displays.
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Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa and new recruit Zane Musgrove had to be separated by team-mates after a boozy night ended in a 6am argument outside the team hotel following St George Illawarra's Charity Shield loss to South Sydney.
On Monday at the club's open media session, Ravalawa and Musgrove both expressed remorse over the incident and promised to do all they could to make things right with the club and their team-mates.
The 25-year-old Ravalawa told the Mercury he was still upset with himself.
"I was and still am really upset at myself. I let the club and the team down," he said.
"I feel very remorseful and want to make it up to the club and the boys.
"I want to get back on the field and just rip in and do what I need to do to help the team be successful."
I feel very remorseful and want to make it up to the club and the boys.
- Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa
Musgrove, who joined the club this season from the Wests Tigers said the club and players had addressed the incident and were now keen to move forward and concentrate on the season proper.
"Obviously it happened and we now have dealt with it and are moving on," the 26-year-old prop said.
"The club and us boys have dealt with it like men and the club has dealt with it, so we move on.
"It's all good now. We are just looking forward to moving on and putting that behind us."
The Fijian flyer Ravalawa and Musgrove rubbished suggestions there was a culture problem at the club, adding the "staff and boys were very tight".
"You always hear that outside noise but I think the group here, we're pretty tight. We know what we are chasing and we know what we want for this year and that is success," Musgrove said.
"You do here the little whispers that go on but for myself I never buy into those things, I just focus on what's happening here and that is training and preparing to have a good season.
"We know if we do that, that is going to win us games during the season."
Samoan international Musgrove, who has played 62 NRL games for Souths Sydney and Wests Tigers over the past five seasons, added he was looking forward to taking his game to a new level at the Dragons.
"I'm excited at the new challenge here at the Dragons. I'm enjoying it here under Hook [coach Anthony Griffin] and with the boys here. We have a good team and roster. I think we will do well," he said.
"I want to take my game to the next level under Hook. I want to be a tough defensive player and definitely under Hook, I feel he can bring that in and take my game to the next level where I'm playing good consistent footy week in week out.
"Even though we had a rough year at the Tigers last season, I thought I had a pretty good year personally. The goal is to be even better for the Dragons."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
