''It was tough because I grew up in Canberra and all my friends and family are there, so to be thrown on the scrap heap the way I was, I wasn't too happy with it. ''I definitely wasn't trying to get out of there on purpose. I'd just re-signed there so that wasn't the case. I grew up there and I was always looking to finish off the contract and look to extend.'' It was Dugan's decision to miss a recovery session following the Raiders' round-one loss to Penrith that proved the final straw. The now infamous rooftop photo he posted on Instagram drinking alcohol with Ferguson - who could return from an NRL-imposed suspension to line up against his close friend on Saturday - culminated in Dugan being run out of town. While he acknowledged his wrongdoing, Dugan has revealed why he was not at training.

''We were just kicking back and catching a bit of sun,'' Dugan said. ''There was nothing too big about it. It was just two mates kicking back and having a drink and that's really all there is to it. The way it was, both me and Blake were a bit drunk, so we felt if we went to recovery it would have been worse off than missing a half-hour swim. That's the way it went down. It's unprofessional and as a footballer you have to do everything right to be ready each week. I let myself down and I let my team down. Now we've both moved on.'' Fairfax Media understands the dossier compiled by the Raiders and handed to the NRL after they axed Dugan contained 18 infringements during his time in the nation's capital, including five infractions that involved the police. The other 13 incidents were in relation to social media rants, missed training sessions and several minor offences. Dugan has not spoken to his ex-coach since leaving the club, but their relationship was on the rocks before they parted ways.

While Dugan insists he will make his way into the visitors' dressing room at WIN Stadium on Saturday to catch up with his old teammates, he doesn't know whether he will exchange words with Furner. ''I'll have a chat with the boys, but I'm not too sure and I'm not too worried about [Furner],'' he said. ''I've had no personal contact with him or Don [chief executive Don Furner] since I've left. They had their opinion and they acted on it. I just had to cop it and move on. ''I didn't really get too much of a chance to say anything. I got straight out of Canberra and sought legal advice and that sort of thing. I didn't worry about it too much because I was in and out of meetings all week. Then Thursday or Friday came around and they terminated the contract.'' While the scheduling of the match is sure to somewhat protect Dugan from a barrage of abuse he would have copped if the match was in Canberra, the Dragons flyer knows he is public enemy No.1 in the nation's capital. ''Either way I think I'll cop it,'' he said. ''I'm quietly getting ready for it now but I've always thrived off that sort of thing. I already copped it quite a bit when I got sacked. I'm expecting a pretty warm welcome from them.'' One of the first things Dugan did after signing with the Dragons was check the draw to see when he would line up against his old club.

The Raiders have long had the wood over St George Illawarra, with Dugan admitting his old club always lifted for the Dragons. ''We just always got up for that game,'' he said. ''Somehow we always managed to pull it out of the hat but hopefully the shoe is on the other foot this time.''