Scrutiny of the NSW State of Origin team culture has intensified after fresh claims emerged about Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson’s pub visit during camp.

The NSWRL is investigating after reports about the former Canberra teammates drinking at the Lennox Point Hotel – about 80km from the Blues’ camp at Kingscliff – on the players’ day off five days before NSW’s loss in the series decider.

Broadcaster Ray Hadley weighed in on Tuesday, questioning the team management’s actions.

“What they do on a day off is up to them. I wouldn’t think it’s very responsible to go to a pub and get on the drink. Go to the pub, have a lemon squash and have a punt if you’re socialising,” Hadley said on 2GB.

“In the reports I get out of Kingscliff, either one or the two were so affected by alcohol the next day, which would have been the Saturday, the team management – instead of sanctioning the two players – actually hid them from view.”

Hadley also claimed players had speculated someone within the NSW camp was responsible for vandalising a journalist’s car during the Kingscliff camp for game one several week earlier.

AAP understands a car was vandalised with spray paint however the journalist who hired it did not believe anyone from the Blues was involved and no complaint was made.

The NSWRL said on Tuesday they were looking into Dugan and Ferguson’s pub trip and had no reason to investigate the car vandalism.

Dugan and Ferguson were reportedly at the Lennox Head pub in the afternoon and early evening on the Friday before Origin game III.

“We were with two of our good mates having lunch and a few beers,” Dugan told News Corp Australia.

“We were home at a respectable hour and there’s nothing more to it. It was six days (sic) out from the game.”

Former Blues skipper Paul Gallen questioned the wisdom of drinking alcohol at that time, although he reserved judgement as he didn’t know the details.

“I can’t talk about the leadership or culture of the team because I wasn’t a part of it,” Gallen told Sky Sports Radio.

“But … I think a lot of it comes back to individual preparation and how well you want to prepare for a game and how much this game means for you.”

He added: “If they went out on an eight-hour bender five days out from an Origin game, I think it’d be bitterly disappointing for themselves and the whole team, and certainly (coach) Laurie Daley.”

Meanwhile, Blues advisor Peter Sterling has confirmed NSW coaching staff planned for bench forward David Klemmer to start ahead of Andrew Fifita in game III.

But he did not confirm suggestions the backflip was due to Fifita taking exception to the decision.

“I don’t know about any blow-up. I don’t know what the reaction was,” Sterling told Triple M.