Josh Dugan has had to grow up quickly. If he didn’t, the New South Wales star faced the prospect of never playing top grade footy in Australia again.

Now he’s a potential future Blues captain.

“Once I lost that contract at Canberra, I went out of my comfort zone. I had to work hard for things again.

“It made me wake up and realise I couldn’t do those immature 18-year-old things anymore. I have learned a lot from that situation and what I went through over the next couple of months.

“I definitely don’t want to get back to that spot and I have been doing everything in power to stay on the right track. I want to become a leader.”