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Forget Todd Carney - the real source of enmity between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra is fullback sensation Josh Dugan.
Only days before the sides meet at the Sydney Football Stadium, Raiders officials have launched a vitriolic attack on the Roosters over what they consider unethical attempts by the Sydney club to sign the 19-year-old when his current contract expires at the end of next season.
It means Saturday's match, which was expected to centre on former Raiders star Carney, has taken on added spice. Rather than Carney - sacked two years ago by the Raiders following a series of off-field indiscretions - Dugan has become the focal point for tension between the rival outfits.
"It doesn't surprise me, with a club like them," Canberra chief executive Don Furner said.
"They seem to do it to everybody. To find out that they're calling him and contacting him ... I think it is unethical and doesn't help anybody. But it doesn't surprise me that they keep doing it, because it's just the way they are."
The Raiders are keen to tie Dugan to a long-term deal and have opened talks with the teenager over extending his existing contract for a further two seasons.
However, they believe their attempts to tie down Dugan are being hindered by the Roosters. As a result, it is understood the Raiders have raised their concerns with both the Roosters and NRL. "He's a local junior who we value very highly," Furner said.
"We're working through a contract extension at the moment, and hopefully we'll get there. It's not new to us, because we are a development club. We have got a strong development history, but one of the downsides of that is people do look at our juniors and try to pinch them. It's a constant battle, because you do put in a lot of time and effort and resources.
"He (Dugan) has been with us in our junior reps since a young age - a lot of welfare time, a lot of effort goes into it. It's disheartening when you see it snatched away."
The Roosters' interest in Dugan is understandable. Only two fullbacks - Jarryd Hayne and Beau Ryan - have averaged more metres this season. Only one, Carney, has made more line breaks. None has busted as many tackles.
Dugan's form is so good he is being seriously considered for representative football. Should Kurt Gidley be selected in the Test squad, Dugan is favourite to secure the Country No.1 jersey for the traditional match with City next month. New South Wales coach Craig Bellamy is also understood to be keeping a close eye on Dugan as an insurance policy against injury to Gidley or Hayne.
The Roosters insist that nothing untoward is going on, although club recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan described Dugan as an amazing player.
O'Sullivan, however, insisted he was more concerned with this season than 2011.
"I have spoken to him once in my life, and that was when I met him at an AIS game for two seconds," O'Sullivan said.
"He's a great player. But I am more worried about 2010 than 2011 and 2012."
The Raiders are hoping Dugan will be convinced to remain at the club because some of his closest friends and long-time teammates, including Jarrod Croker and Daniel Vidot, have signed long-term deals. Dugan, Croker and Vidot were all members of the Raiders' Toyota Cup squad which won the premiership in 2008.
"I'm confident he would love to win a grand final with his mates and the blokes he grew up playing rep footy with ," Furner said.
"He knows the likes of Terry Campese and those other blokes are signed up long-term. There's a whole batch of them here for the long haul. I am sure he would like to win a grand final with his mates at his home club. That's what we aim to do."
Only days before the sides meet at the Sydney Football Stadium, Raiders officials have launched a vitriolic attack on the Roosters over what they consider unethical attempts by the Sydney club to sign the 19-year-old when his current contract expires at the end of next season.
It means Saturday's match, which was expected to centre on former Raiders star Carney, has taken on added spice. Rather than Carney - sacked two years ago by the Raiders following a series of off-field indiscretions - Dugan has become the focal point for tension between the rival outfits.
"It doesn't surprise me, with a club like them," Canberra chief executive Don Furner said.
"They seem to do it to everybody. To find out that they're calling him and contacting him ... I think it is unethical and doesn't help anybody. But it doesn't surprise me that they keep doing it, because it's just the way they are."
The Raiders are keen to tie Dugan to a long-term deal and have opened talks with the teenager over extending his existing contract for a further two seasons.
However, they believe their attempts to tie down Dugan are being hindered by the Roosters. As a result, it is understood the Raiders have raised their concerns with both the Roosters and NRL. "He's a local junior who we value very highly," Furner said.
"We're working through a contract extension at the moment, and hopefully we'll get there. It's not new to us, because we are a development club. We have got a strong development history, but one of the downsides of that is people do look at our juniors and try to pinch them. It's a constant battle, because you do put in a lot of time and effort and resources.
"He (Dugan) has been with us in our junior reps since a young age - a lot of welfare time, a lot of effort goes into it. It's disheartening when you see it snatched away."
The Roosters' interest in Dugan is understandable. Only two fullbacks - Jarryd Hayne and Beau Ryan - have averaged more metres this season. Only one, Carney, has made more line breaks. None has busted as many tackles.
Dugan's form is so good he is being seriously considered for representative football. Should Kurt Gidley be selected in the Test squad, Dugan is favourite to secure the Country No.1 jersey for the traditional match with City next month. New South Wales coach Craig Bellamy is also understood to be keeping a close eye on Dugan as an insurance policy against injury to Gidley or Hayne.
The Roosters insist that nothing untoward is going on, although club recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan described Dugan as an amazing player.
O'Sullivan, however, insisted he was more concerned with this season than 2011.
"I have spoken to him once in my life, and that was when I met him at an AIS game for two seconds," O'Sullivan said.
"He's a great player. But I am more worried about 2010 than 2011 and 2012."
The Raiders are hoping Dugan will be convinced to remain at the club because some of his closest friends and long-time teammates, including Jarrod Croker and Daniel Vidot, have signed long-term deals. Dugan, Croker and Vidot were all members of the Raiders' Toyota Cup squad which won the premiership in 2008.
"I'm confident he would love to win a grand final with his mates and the blokes he grew up playing rep footy with ," Furner said.
"He knows the likes of Terry Campese and those other blokes are signed up long-term. There's a whole batch of them here for the long haul. I am sure he would like to win a grand final with his mates at his home club. That's what we aim to do."
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