St George Illawarra Dragons fullback Josh Dugan is expecting no charity on the field against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield fixture at ANZ Stadium, Olympic Park on Saturday.
The NSW Blues representative is keen to test himself against the reigning Premiers and admits his teammates are too with spots up for grabs in the team to participate in the World Club Series.
Dugan,24, is part of a 26-man squad named by Head Coach Paul McGregor for the 32nd annual marquee encounter.
“They are definitely a side that will be tough to beat this year,” said Dugan.
“We always take this game pretty serious as it is more than just a pre-season game, I don’t think any of us boys are really going to treat it as a trial.
“Every year it is pretty serious from both sides and we definitely want to improve and show what we have been doing this pre-season.
“The way we have been training this year, it’s pretty exciting to get back out there and start playing some footy.
“Our intention is to go out there and put in a good performance and get the win, it would definitely be the first stepping stone for starting off the year right.
“It’s a pretty big couple of weeks for us and all the players are well aware that there are still spots for grabs in the squad that travels to the UK.”
Jersey Auction
The Dragons will be auctioning the player-worn Charity Shield jerseys with proceeds donated to the St George and Wollongong Public Hospitals.
The auction will commence following the final whistle with Red V Members and supporters alike able to bid until 9.00pm on Thursday, February 12.
Visit www.dragons.com.au for further details on how you can bid on your favourite player’s jersey!
