HERE'S the thing about social media. Yes, it provides a conduit between the players and the fans. But the flipside of that is the fans get their say too - and it's not always positive. Josh Dugan knew that. He had been on the end of abuse before, some of it downright disgusting. As heinous as it was, he should have taken the moral high-ground. He should have turned the other cheek. Instead, he returned serve and it has cost him the chance to revive his career with the Brisbane Broncos. Every club, including Dugan's former side Canberra, educates its players about the dangers of social media. A week before the incident which led to his sacking by the Raiders, Dugan and his teammates were taken through a social media course. Photos of Dugan himself were used to illustrate the perils of social media. At that point, he should have listened to those around him who suggested he shut down his twitter and instagram accounts. Instead, he continued unabated. First it cost him his contract at Canberra. Now it has come at the cost of a deal with Brisbane. It may yet cost him a long suspension from the NRL. At worst, it could force him overseas or to rugby union. To Dugan's credit, he offered an apology for his latest outburst, which included advising one critic to "end yourself." That comment in particular was disturbing given Dugan has been touched by suicide - he has a tattoo on his body in honour of his uncle Andrew P. Dugan, who took his own life. Maybe Dugan will never learn, Maybe this will be the moment that shapes his life and career. One thing is clear - Dugan needs to get off social media. Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett had his tongue planted firmly in his cheek yesterday when he was asked about twitter and the like. But even in jest, his words still resonated. "Dangerous place that social media, that's why I don't have a twitter account," Bennett said. I don't need the extra publicity. Nor does Dugan. Adam Reynolds is one tough hombre Adam Reynolds has received his fair share of plaudits this year but it was hard not to be impressed with another aspect of his play against Canterbury - his toughness. Reynolds spent most of the game standing opposite Bulldogs giant Tony Williams. The Souths No7 gave away 33 kilograms but little else. Williams spent the opening half running straight at Reynolds. Reynolds just kept getting in the way. He finished with 26 tackles to go with his one try assist. He never shirked his responsibility. Every time he got knocked down, he got up again. On the big stage, against last year's grand finalists no less, he stepped up again. He's giving NSW coach Laurie Daley plenty to think about. John Sutton still polarises opinion, except where Reynolds is concerned When Todd Carney appeared to suffer a serious injury on Saturday night - it was later diagnosed as an ankle strain which will sideline him for up to two weeks - this journalist suggested John Sutton and James Maloney would come into contention for the NSW No6 jersey. In hindsight, Canterbury five-eighth Josh Reynolds deserved a mention, something that was pointed out by Bulldogs fans.They were almost as vociferous as those shouting down the suggestion that Sutton could play for the Blues. The South Sydney five-eighth has long polarised people. He has been branded lazy and inconsistent. In Sutton's defence, his form over the past year and a bit has been anything but. Last year, in a side packed with stars, Sutton won the George Piggins medal as Souths' best and fairest. He helped Adam Reynolds acclimatise to the NRL quicker than anyone expected. His value to Souths, one of the premiership fancies, is unquestioned. He captained the side in the absence of Michael Crocker against Canterbury. Yet he's still not good enough for Origin in the eyes of many. Reynolds won't hear of it. He has nothing but praise for his halves partner. Asked how important it was that the club re-signed Sutton, Reynolds said: "I think it's massive. He put his hand up last year and again this year. He has been amazing for our team. He is a leader and we want to keep him. He has taken the club in the right direction. All the young boys at Souths look up to him. I definitely do. At training he is amazing for young blokes. He is sharing his knowledge. He is South Sydney all over. Mick Potter didn't help his team against Manly Coaches live and die by decisions such as those made by Mick Potter last Thursday night. Two in particular stood out. The first was the decision to use young fullback James Tedesco on the wing. Tedesco's call-up at the expense of specialist winger Matt Utai was probably deserved, but he was badly exposed. His direct opponent David Williams finished with a bagful of tries as Tedesco was caught out defensively. Potter rolled the dice and lost. It wasn't the only time during the match. The more controversial decision was to take hooker and captain Robbie Farah from the field for a 17-minute rest during which the game swung dramatically to Manly. Farah played 80 minutes in the opening three games of the year. Heck, he played 80 minutes last year in the furnace-like atmosphere of State of Origin and won man of the match. Little wonder Potter's decision caused a stir, particularly as it went a long way to determining the outcome of the match. Farah did well to bite his tongue after the match. He was clearly disappointed. So were the Tigers fans. Sam Thaiday didn't deserve to be on a losing side Sam Thaiday was happy to admit it after the game last Friday night - he would prefer to be in the back row, but like any inspirational captain, he is doing what's best for the team by playing at prop. The inspiration doesn't end there. Thaiday was huge for the Broncos in their loss to the Melbourne Storm. He played 70 minutes, ran for 133 metres and finished with 44 tackles. The Broncos need Thaiday more than ever and he answered the call. In the end it wasn't enough to beat the Storm, but it wasn't through lack of effort or desire on the part of the skipper. The Broncos have copped plenty of flak this season, but Thaiday should be exonerated for the club's disappointing start to the season. Greg Inglis and Billy Slater made it a fantastic Friday All the talk was about Ben Barba last Friday night, but two other fullbacks stole the show on a night of fantastic football. Inglis fired the first shot when he dominated the Barba-led Bulldogs. The Rabbitohs superstar ran for 198 metres, busted seven tackles and had a line break assist. Canterbury did its best to control him but to no avail. He dominated. That was good but then came Slater. The Storm fullback's performance came as no surprise - he has had a great record against Brisbane over the years. No player had scored more tries, made more line breaks or busted more tackle breaks against the Broncos. That said, even by those standards Slater was amazing as he ran for 126 metres and finished with three tries. The game is blessed at the moment when it comes to fullbacks. Even with Dugan in the doghouse, the quality is astonishing. Nowhere is it better than at Souths and Brisbane. Speaking of fullbacks, is it time Canberra looked at Anthony Milford The buzz out of Canberra is that the Raiders have a superstar in their ranks. Anthony Milford joined the club as a half but he has spent this season in the centres and at fullback for the club's under 20s side. In either position, Milford has been devastating. He had three try assists last week and backed that up with another three, playing at fullback, in the Raiders' thrilling win over Newcastle in under 20s on Sunday. Coach David Furner was asked afterwards whether it was time Milford got his shot. He said he had bigger concerns in light of his NRL side's defeat at the hands of the Knights. But Blake Ferguson aside, the Raiders lack spark at the moment. Milford may be the man to provide it. Bennett has his say on obstruction Pressure continues to build on officials to move on the obstruction rule. The issue is set down for next month's meeting of the competition committee, but that may be too late. Aside from some cracking matches, the weekend was dominated by yet more controversy over the new interpretation of the rule. Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett, who is part of the competition committee, had his say after his side's win over Canberra last night. "They have got a minefield for themselves," Bennett said. They're going to have to fix it up. As I said it is going to create lot more controversy as the season gets underway and the games become even more vital. He was just the latest voice to weigh into the issue. As for Canberra coach David Furner, he was reluctant to comment following his side's defeat, which included a no-try for an obstruction. But it was pretty clear he thinks the rule needs some work. Told of Bennett's comments, he replied.: "I think he's right." Gold Coast deserves credit for re-building The Gold Coast is quickly becoming the story of the NRL season. Last year, the Titans were on the brink. Owner Michael Searle had gambled on the Centre of Excellence and lost. Gold Coast was on the verge of collapse. The independent commission was called in and somehow, the club. Controversy, however, was never far away. In the off-season, the club severed ties with its captain Scott Prince, the man who had been the face of the club since its inception. Coach John Cartwright put his faith in troubled Albert Kelly and his faith has been rewarded. Kelly has been outstanding over the opening month of the year. The Titans are flying with three wins in their opening four games. They should be unbeaten - they should have beaten Cronulla in the opening round. On Friday night, they host Brisbane on the Gold Coast. A win would confirm the balance of power in south-east Queensland has shifted back to the Gold Coast. Given the past year, that would be a remarkable achievement. If Sonny Bill Williams is to come back next season, he may need some convincing This journalist spoke to a Sydney Roosters official in the pre-season about the prospects of Sonny Bill Williams returning for a second season. The response was that Williams needed to fall back in love with the game first. If yesterday was any indication, that appears a way off. The game has changed dramatically since Williams walked out five years ago. Most teams look like they have come off an assembly line with Melbourne as the prototype. Williams has been outstanding of late in defence, but he hasn't been allowed to demonstrate his vaunted attacking skills just yet. Clearly, he is finding it somewhat frustrating. "The game is a bit of a fitness session out there," Williams said. Most teams are playing the same and it's a battle of wills. I won't lie, when I left the game, it was a lot more open, a lot more free-flowing. But it just goes to show the amount of athletes we have in the game at the moment. Guys are big, strong, fit, fast. Before I left I didn't play with too much instruction, it was my own free will I guess. I am happy playing in a structure. But it's about getting used to the structure and finding a way to inject myself into games. But that will come in time. Williams also admitted he was surprised by the amount of wrestling now in the game. There is a lot more wrestling. We work with a wrestling coach full-time," he said. But everyone is doing it. It's vital those extra few seconds you get on the ground. The game's still good to watch and I'm loving being back. Doesn't sound like a man in love. Team of the week Gold Coast - As mentioned above, the Titans' comeback from the abyss has been truly remarkable. Coach John Cartwright deserves a lot of credit. Some people queried the decision to give him a five-year contract. At the moment, it looks like a masterstroke. Player of the week Tyrone Roberts - Good halfbacks are hard to find these days but Newcastle appears to have stumbled on one. Roberts has taken over the No.7 jersey from Kurt Gidley. It was his try which sparked the win over St George Illawarra. There were shades of Johnathan Thurston about the show-and-go.