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The man who spearheaded St George Illawarra’s famous ‘BBQ-Gate’ has quickly been promoted to the leadership group at new club Canterbury.
Paul Vaughan was unsure if his rugby league career was over just eight months ago when sacked by the Dragons for hosting a barbecue for a dozen of his teammates during COVID. He was hit with an eight-match ban and $50,000 fine from the NRL as his teammates were given separate sanctions.
Vaughan has not only been shown love by the Bulldogs, he has now been given the nod to join the leadership group, which includes the likes of skipper Josh Jackson, as well as Josh Addo-Carr, fellow former Dragon Matt Dufty, Jeremy Marshall-King, Joe Stimson, Luke Thompson and Brent Naden.
Naden admitted to taking cocaine the night before Penrith’s grand final loss to Melbourne in 2020, and later checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.
Eagle-eyed TV viewers would have noticed Vaughan as the on-field captain during last Monday’s trial against Cronulla while Jackson was off the field and Tevita Pangai Jr had just lost his cool with Royce Hunt.
Vaughan, 30, played down the extra responsibility that comes with being a leader, but his teammates said he had been the perfect role model, regardless of what went down at the Dragons midway through last year.
Captaincy and leadership has come in all different forms across the NRL clubs this summer, with the Wests Tigers ridiculed for opting with a five-man rotation policy.
The inclusion of Vaughan in the Dogs’ leadership group will come as a surprise to most fans. Even his former coach at the Dragons, Paul McGregor, told Matty Johns during an interview last year that Vaughan “doesn’t like the extra responsibility that comes with leadership”.
“He’s a competitor, he’s led the way, he’s taken a lot of pressure off me because he’s experienced, he speaks up in team chats and shares his experiences with the younger boys,” Jackson said of Vaughan.
“He’s been really impressive ‘Vaughny’.
“From day one he has ripped in, from the wrestle sessions, which are pretty hard, he’s wanted to win, and on the field with running, it’s the same thing. He’s a competitor.”
Dufty said of Vaughan: “He doesn’t understand the other younger forwards in the squad look up to him because he’s played for NSW and Australia.
“This is the best pre-season I’ve seen him have. I’ve known ‘Vaughny’ a long time. He doesn’t need to say much, but he leads with the way he trains.”
Vaughan also steered of any commentary about BBQ-Gate, but knows he is fortunate to have been thrown a Belmore lifeline, and is determined to earn the “respect” of his new teammates.
“It will be a good moment if I do get an opportunity to get it all back again after what happened last year. It was tough,” Vaughan said.
“I set myself the goal to come back and get the best out of myself, and with the one-year deal, each week you need to play your best footy because you have no choice. I’ve pushed all the chips in.
“I’ve played the game long enough to know your football does the talking.
“I have to get that confidence and respect back from the boys, show them I can play good footy, and get their respect first.
“Ideally I wouldn’t want to come to a club and then leave [one season later]. These guys have shown me some trust and faith, and I want to play my best footy for the Dogs.”
www.smh.com.au
Paul Vaughan was unsure if his rugby league career was over just eight months ago when sacked by the Dragons for hosting a barbecue for a dozen of his teammates during COVID. He was hit with an eight-match ban and $50,000 fine from the NRL as his teammates were given separate sanctions.
Vaughan has not only been shown love by the Bulldogs, he has now been given the nod to join the leadership group, which includes the likes of skipper Josh Jackson, as well as Josh Addo-Carr, fellow former Dragon Matt Dufty, Jeremy Marshall-King, Joe Stimson, Luke Thompson and Brent Naden.
Naden admitted to taking cocaine the night before Penrith’s grand final loss to Melbourne in 2020, and later checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.
Eagle-eyed TV viewers would have noticed Vaughan as the on-field captain during last Monday’s trial against Cronulla while Jackson was off the field and Tevita Pangai Jr had just lost his cool with Royce Hunt.
Vaughan, 30, played down the extra responsibility that comes with being a leader, but his teammates said he had been the perfect role model, regardless of what went down at the Dragons midway through last year.
Captaincy and leadership has come in all different forms across the NRL clubs this summer, with the Wests Tigers ridiculed for opting with a five-man rotation policy.
The inclusion of Vaughan in the Dogs’ leadership group will come as a surprise to most fans. Even his former coach at the Dragons, Paul McGregor, told Matty Johns during an interview last year that Vaughan “doesn’t like the extra responsibility that comes with leadership”.
“He’s a competitor, he’s led the way, he’s taken a lot of pressure off me because he’s experienced, he speaks up in team chats and shares his experiences with the younger boys,” Jackson said of Vaughan.
“He’s been really impressive ‘Vaughny’.
“From day one he has ripped in, from the wrestle sessions, which are pretty hard, he’s wanted to win, and on the field with running, it’s the same thing. He’s a competitor.”
Dufty said of Vaughan: “He doesn’t understand the other younger forwards in the squad look up to him because he’s played for NSW and Australia.
“This is the best pre-season I’ve seen him have. I’ve known ‘Vaughny’ a long time. He doesn’t need to say much, but he leads with the way he trains.”
Vaughan also steered of any commentary about BBQ-Gate, but knows he is fortunate to have been thrown a Belmore lifeline, and is determined to earn the “respect” of his new teammates.
“It will be a good moment if I do get an opportunity to get it all back again after what happened last year. It was tough,” Vaughan said.
“I set myself the goal to come back and get the best out of myself, and with the one-year deal, each week you need to play your best footy because you have no choice. I’ve pushed all the chips in.
“I’ve played the game long enough to know your football does the talking.
“I have to get that confidence and respect back from the boys, show them I can play good footy, and get their respect first.
“Ideally I wouldn’t want to come to a club and then leave [one season later]. These guys have shown me some trust and faith, and I want to play my best footy for the Dogs.”
From leading St George Illawarra’s BBQ-Gate to leading Canterbury
How Paul Vaughan has gone from being sacked over a key role in St George Illawarra’s BBQ-Gate to a member of Canterbury’s leadership group.
