Former State of Origin star Josh Dugan will consider suing Cronulla for wrongful dismissal over his messy departure from the Sharks that ended his NRL career.

Dugan’s solicitor, Paul McGirr, said the ex-NSW and Australian champion was wrongly terminated by the Sharks over alleged Covid breaches when travelling near Lithgow in the state’s central west in August last year.

The matter is before the courts with Magistrate Kasey Pearce to hand down her decision on December 2.

Dugan and his housemate, Ben Williams, were charged with two counts each of failing to comply with a noticed direction under the Public Health Act, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

McGirr argued in Lithgow Court on August 31 that the case against the pair was flawed as his clients had no knowledge of the Covid legislation or restrictions at the time.

If Dugan loses the case, he will immediately appeal.

NRL 2022: Josh Dugan could sue Cronulla Sharks over sacking, alleged Covid breaches | Daily Telegraph

Paul McGirr appears on 7 News Sydney after NSW Health and NSW Police take steps to detain a client, his children and his heavily pregnant wife in hotel quarantine on the basis of views of a doctor who has never even examined the client.

The power to detain arises under section 62 of the Public Health Act 2010 which allows a doctor to make public health orders in relation to specific people, including COVID-19 patients for a number of reasons, including where there is a risk to public health. The order can only be made on reasonable grounds, however the circumstances in this case are peculiar because the doctor who made the order took no steps to consult our client or his family. Indeed he was criticised for leaving his home despite receiving a direction from NSW Health to obtain a test.