Josh Dugan in trouble again, putting St George Illawarra Dragons negotiations in jeopardy Troubled fullback Josh Dugan. ST GEORGE Illawarra were set to ramp up negotiations to sign sacked Raiders fullback Josh Dugan until the troubled NRL star threw the deal into jeopardy with another off-field indiscretion. On the back of landing English international Gareth Widdop on a four-year deal worth $2.2 million, the Dragons were manoeuvring to accommodate Dugan into the Red V roster this season, provided the NRL was prepared to register the contract. But an off-field altercation involving Dugan at a funeral in the national capital earlier this week is guaranteed to have St George Illawarra baulking at the NRL's resident problem child. In a major coup for St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust, the recruitment drive for 2014 remains a work in progress, with the club continuing talks to try to sign Feleti Mateo and Mitchell Aubusson. The Dugan deal was a more immediate proposition, with St George Illawarra hopeful of lobbying the NRL as early as next week to register a contract for the sacked Raider. That was until revelations about Dugan being involved in a fight in Canberra earlier this week surfaced last night, throwing negotiations into the air. The Daily Telegraph can reveal Dugan has been continuing to undergo counselling sessions under the watchful eye of the NRL ever since the collapse of his Brisbane Broncos contract a month ago. With head coach Steve Price still only signed until the end of this season, Dragons CEO Doust and recruitment manager Craig Young have been the architects behind securing Widdop, Canberra's Joel Thompson and the negotiations with Dugan. St George Illawarra are poised to announce the signing of England international Gareth Widdop on a four-year $2.2 million deal for next season. The signature of Widdop means the Dragons' interest in luring Todd Carney is finished, with club legend Mark Coyne labelling the move to sign the English pivot a masterstroke. "It's a really positive move," he said. But Coyne cautioned the Dragons about the risk factor associated with taking a punt on Dugan - despite new recruit fullback Gerard Beale being ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured ACL in his knee. "Dugan's a great player but the question mark is whether he's ready to come back and play in the right frame of mind," Coyne said. There's an element of risk involved in signing him until you can be certain he's got his head sorted out. The Daily Telegraph has been told the Dragons have a board meeting next week where Price's future will be top of the agenda, with club power brokers having discussed giving him a one- or two-season extension. Coyne also urged the Dragons to reward the rookie coach with a new contract.