Mogg off

Wednesday 17th March 2010

The news that Catalans Dragons star centre or stand-off Adam Mogg is seeking a release from his contract in order to move back to Australia's NRL could be a big blow for the Perpignan based club.

To my mind, Mogg has made a massive contribution to the Dragons' success in recent seasons and is/was hugeley important to the Catalans team.  He plays with a combination of skill, craft and robust physicality and has the ability to dominate games.

He boasts a 100-kilo frame and is just as capable of putting in big tackles as providing a nice short pass to 'lead' a runner through a gap.   

Mogg's qualities should have been no surprise to anybody who had followed his career prior to his arrival en France which included a strong showing for Queensland in the 2006 Origin series. But somehow - it seems to me - he has never quite got the recognition he deserved (aside from an appearance in the 2007 Super League Dream Team).

I would go so far as to say that if he had been playing for France against England at Doncaster in last season's Four Nations opener then Bobbie Goulding's men could have won!

Although there is no final confirmation of any move just yet, Kevin Walter's public comments and the Catalans attempts to sign Clinton Shifcofske would seem to signal that the only going back to be done is by Adam Mogg to Australia.

His departure will be a loss for the Dragons and a loss for Super League.