Canberra star Josh Dugan’s move from fullback to chief playmaker won’t be the lone manoeuvre to save the Raiders’ troubled NRL season, but his new halves partner believes it certainly can’t hurt.
Josh McCrone will welcome his third accomplice in the Raiders’ halves this season when Dugan wears the No.6 jersey for Saturday’s must-win home clash against Wests Tigers, following stints with Terry Campese and Sam Williams.
The surprise move by Raiders coach David Furner came after Dugan was stood down last week for disciplinary reasons and Reece Robinson, in his absence, shone at fullback despite a 36-18 loss to South Sydney.
McCrone says it’s a credit to Robinson that he managed to push Dugan out of position, but has backed his new partner to make a seamless transition to the halves – and provide some spark to the Raiders’ defence.
“It’s a different kind of fitness up in the front line,” he said in Canberra on Wednesday.
“He’s a very fit bloke, but he does a lot more long-distance stuff at fullback, long sprints, just repeated up and back, up and back and tackle, but I think he’s good enough to handle the change.
“He’s a good defender.”
Campese, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in round seven, has warned Dugan not to push too hard in his new role, but McCrone said Dugan was experienced enough not to let the heightened pressure get to him.
“It’s a bit different at half, you see the ball a lot more and you don’t have to come up with big plays every time, but he’s smart enough to work that out,” McCrone said.
“I don’t think one bloke in a different position is going to turn a season around on its own, but hopefully it helps us.”
The Raiders host the Tigers at Canberra Stadium hoping to replicate their 30-16 victory from round four which would arrest a mid-season slump that has had them lose four of their past five matches.
The sole win was against cellar-dwellers Parramatta.
While buoyed by the return of Dugan and Blake Ferguson was also dropped last week for breaching the club’s alcohol policy, they face a different Tigers outfit than the one they beat two months ago.
The Tigers are on a five-match winning streak and have made just one change from the side that beat North Queensland last week, with Liam Fulton returning from injury to further flesh out their forward pack.