MacDougall Test challenge -  15 February, 2004
A rejuvenated Adam MacDougall has pointed to his return last season as evidence he's ready to win back his Australian rugby league jumper.  MacDougall came back from a knee injury midway through 2003 and scored 11 tries in 12 games for Newcastle, including three in his first game back, against St George Illawarra.   The 28-year-old believes he's ready to reproduce that form at South Sydney, where coach Paul Langmack has earmarked the former Test winger for the centres. 
"I have missed a lot of football with the knee," MacDougall said.  "I really think that's going to be a benefit to me. I was playing for Australia when Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers were there. "Everyone knows what I can do when I'm fit. Once I get fit, I know the ability I have got." 
Souths fans were hoping to see that ability on show in last night's Charity Shield but MacDougall was forced out of the game with a virus.  The ex-Knight watched his new side capitulate against the Dragons, losing 34-8, but he wasn't regretting his decision to join the struggling Rabbitohs afterwards. And MacDougall refuses to believe playing for the wooden spooners will harm his representative chances. "I think Bryan Fletcher showed that even if you come from a great club and go to a club that's not going really well, you can shine," MacDougall said. "I scored a try a game last year when I came back from injury. 
"What you have to do is look at the stats in the games before I was injured." 
MacDougall has played 11 matches for NSW and five Tests, but in his absence Anthony Minichiello and Matt Sing have cemented their positions on the Australian wings. Only injury will cost Minichiello his place in the national side for the Anzac Test, but Sing will need to start the season well to fend off his rivals. MacDougall, who will play in the centres for South Sydney, his former Newcastle teammate Timana Tahu and the Roosters' Shannon Hegarty will all come under consideration.

MacDougall loving stint at Souths -  4 April 2004
It's hard to beat playing alongside Andrew Johns, but former rugby league international Adam MacDougall is finding more satisfaction at battling club South Sydney.  MacDougall and his younger brother Luke, who scored a hat-trick of tries in Souths' upset win over Cronulla last night, have been the stand-out players for the Bunnies after four rounds.  The elder MacDougall is so stoked with his move to Redfern he plans to extend his contract for another two years and dispel talk he headed there to top up his retirement fund.  He signed a one-year deal with the Rabbitohs after an eight year period with Newcastle during which he played 11 games for NSW and five Tests for Australia.  "Mad Dog" MacDougall would have played more representative games but the colourful character missed most of the 2002 and 2003 seasons because of major knee surgery.  But the 28-year-old feels he's back to his best and is shattered at his omission from the Australian 25-man preliminary squad named this week for the April 23 Test against New Zealand in Newcastle.  "It is disappointing because before I got injured I was getting picked in Australian teams and competing with guys like Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers," said MacDougall.  "Eighteen months ago I was probably one of the first blokes picked for Australia so obviously I'm forgotten now and I just have to move on and focus on club football. All I can do is go out and keep playing the same kind of footy I'm playing now and keep reminding people of the quality player that I am."
MacDougall, who set an NRL record for most metres gained (323m) two weeks ago, feels he's being targeted by opposition coaches and players but has risen to the challenge.  "I've played teams this year who have put three or four guys on me and I still managed to play OK," he said.  "It's pretty easy when you're running with Andrew Johns every week and winning, but it's more satisfying playing in a side like South Sydney who are in a rebuilding phase and appreciate what you contribute week-in, week-out. I'll never forget the Knights but this has been a great move for me."

The Adam boom - 7 April 2004
Adam MacDougall, at almost 29 and having risked his career by moving to wooden spooners South Sydney, is set to resurrect his representative career with selection in the Australian side for the Anzac Test.  With Australian selectors confronted by Jamie Lyon's walkout, injuries to Shannon Hegarty and Timana Tahu, Justin Hodges' poor form and Mark Gasnier's recent indifference, the cards are set to fall for MacDougall's first match in green and gold since 2001.  Chairman of selectors Bob McCarthy confessed: "MacDougall will pick himself if his form continues in the next two weeks, we won't have to make a decision."
Although playing fullback for a Souths side that has won its past two matches, 'Mad Dog' could find himself at wing, centre or as a utility back who could cover all three positions if needed.  The Australian side for the Anzac Test, to be played at Newcastle of Friday, April 23, will be chosen on Sunday week.  No less than 11 players who represented Australia last year are out of the reckoning (see list), either through injury or having retired from representative football, while some of our most established players are on the field battling injury or form.  That makes this the most open Test side for a home match in years.
MacDougall has made no secret of his desire to again play for NSW and Australia and says the last time he was not troubled by injury, he was a regular Test performer.  "I feel I'm playing as well as I did when I last played representative football, and I'm very keen to play for NSW and Australia again," said MacDougall.  "Without the quality of rep players around me, like Andrew Johns, I have had to create more opportunities for myself at Souths but the keenness of the young players around me and the extra responsibility has really helped my game. You can only hope to make a Test side but I know I can still perform at that level."

Let Mad Dog off leash -  16 April, 2004
ADAM MacDOUGALL's prospects of breaking back into rep football are not being helped by his selection at centre for the Rabbitohs.  "Mad Dog" broke the NRL yardage record for a single game against the Tigers last month playing fullback. Playing him at centre or on the wing doesn't give him that scope and he is more easily covered by the opposition in those positions.  Running from fullback allows him those few precious metres of freedom before the defence can get a crack at him. And once MacDougall gets those big legs pumping the first couple of tacklers are often blown away.  Brad Watts is a competent fullback but he'll never have the same impact as MacDougall running from the backfield.  He simply doesn't have the size and strength to have that effect on defenders.  In my view had MacDougall been used exclusively at fullback his chances of breaking into the Test squad on Sunday night would have improved immeasurably.  It appears he won't get there this time even if he has another blinder tomorrow night against the Storm at Olympic Park.  That means he'll have to look at City-Country selection to get a start for NSW in the State of Origin series. Brad Fittler once rated MacDougall as the toughest player to tackle because of those gigantic thighs.  At the time MacDougall was a fixture at Origin and Test level and it was no secret the Queenslanders were sick of the sight of him.  Because MacDougall can play at wing, centre or fullback he would be an attractive proposition off the bench for NSW should the selectors stick with players like Luke Lewis and Timana Tahu on the wings. 

Mad Dog out for season - 18 April , 2004, The Sunday Telegraph
Melbourne 50 Souths 4
In five grim words, coach Paul Langmack last night delivered the message Souths fans could least afford to hear.  "Adam's out for the season," Langmack said, referring to veteran Adam MacDougall, who snapped his Achilles tendon in the dying stages of last night's heavy loss to Melbourne.  Talk about adding injury to insult. South Sydney suffered the ignominy of a return to their dark days, conceding 50 points to the Storm - and then MacDougall went down injured.  "He's pretty upset," Langmack said. "It just went in the last tackle, he moved forward and fell over right at the end."
To compound their problems, skipper Bryan Fletcher is continuing to struggle with a foot injury.  As Souths came to grips with what Langmack termed "a bad day at the office".

Mad Dog vows to return -  19 April, 2004
ADAM MacDOUGALL is expected to undergo surgery today to repair a ruptured achilles tendon that will sidelined him for the season, but the 28-year-old former Test winger has vowed to continue his career.  MacDougall, who has fought back from a number of career-threatening knee injuries, was inconsolable in the South Sydney dressing-room on Saturday night moments after he left the field with his dreams of breaking back into Test football shattered.  The extent of the injury, which occurred in the final minutes of the Rabbitohs' 50-4 belting at the hands of Melbourne Storm, was not immediately evident to many at the ground, but MacDougall knew.  Apart form coping with the nine-tries-to-one loss, the Rabbitohs' ability to regroup will be sorely tested without MacDougall's skill and experience.  It follows the enforced retirement of their other major off-season buy Terry Hill with a chronic knee injury. The nine-Test veteran failed to play a game for the Rabbitohs after transferring from Wests Tigers. 
The oldest of three brothers playing first grade, MacDougall, whose youngest brother Luke was on the wing for Souths, will have to endure a slow and exhaustive rehabilitation program in order to play again and this latest setback will test his resolve.
But Storm centre and younger brother Ben, who missed lining up against his brothers on Saturday night due to a hamstring injury, yesterday claimed Adam was determined to play again.  "Adam is just shattered. I went straight to the Souths' room thinking he had a bad ankle injury but he told me through teary eyes that it was his achilles," Ben MacDougall said.  "He was loving his football at Souths - especially playing with Luke. He really thought he could break back into the Test team. If anyone doubts Adam's desire to continue playing, then they don't know him. I was with him well into the night and he is already plotting his recovery and rehabilitation.
 

Adam McDougall signed for the next two years with South Sydney.  One thing MacDougall, likes visualising is playing at Souths with his younger brother by eight years Luke.

Madder than hell - MacDougall haunted by horrific injury run -  The Sunday Telegraph,  25 APR 2004
INJURED Souths recruit Adam MacDougall says he will be haunted for the rest of his life because the public never got a chance to see him perform to his true potential. Vowing to fight back from another injury -- this time a ruptured Achilles tendon -- that has ruined a promising season, MacDougall says he will be gutted for life about the run of injuries that has constantly stalled an otherwise brilliant career. MacDougall also took a swipe at former club Newcastle, claiming they let him down during 18 months out of the game with a knee injury and it was a major reason why he had to leave the club he helped to two premiership victories.
``I know people probably look at me and think `injuries' and that guts me, it really guts me,'' MacDougall says. ``It haunts me that I'll go through my career knowing I never got to my full potential and that the fans out there never got a chance to see the best of me.  ``I look at players and where they were when I was injured and where they are now and ... I know I'm better than them. Look, I've been man of the match in Tests and Origins, I know what I'm capable of, but I don't think I've got the best out of my career.I came back last year and scored a try a game with Newcastle and broke an NRL running record with Souths this year.
``But ... had I not been injured, I just know how good a player I could have been and I'm haunted by it.''
MacDougall initially reacted angrily when The Sunday Telegraph told him figures showed he has only played 42 per cent of all games he could have played. In a remarkable statistic for a player who has been around the game for eight years -- and reached the heights of Origin and Test football -- MacDougall does not yet have 100 first grade games to his credit. ``If that's what the story is about, then I've got no comment,''
MacDougall said angrily. ``I've had one major injury -- my knee -- which kept my out for 18 months and that's a fair lot of football to miss, so there.''
After he calmed down, he admitted the statistics of his playing career ``gutted him''.  MacDougall said he was ``pissed off'' his knee injury at Newcastle turned out to be so traumatic. ``At the end of the day, it was the reason why I left the club,'' he said. ``People don't realise what I went through up there just to get back on the football field ... it was more than a reco (reconstruction). ```I was told it was nine months and through no fault of my own it stretched another nine months because ... look, I was just let down by certain people.  As for his Achilles injury, MacDougall vows he will be back on the field for another crack next year. ``Look, I'm a fighter and I've got off the canvas before,'' he said. ``This is going to sound really gay but the sorest part of me at he moment isn't my foot -- it's my heart. The thing is, once this heals, it's not going to be a problem and there's no long-term side effects ... it's not like a shoulder or a knee. I was told Justin Marshall the All Black half had the same problem before the World Cup and was in danger of missing the tournament but he was back in 14 weeks. ``I've been through hell ... but at the end of the day, I know I'll run around again.''

Souths hold on to Mad Dog -  7 May, 2004
ADAM MacDougall, rugby league's Mad Dog, last night signed a new two-year contract with South Sydney.  MacDougall put himself in State of Origin contention this year after a series of blockbusting performances.  But his season crumbled late last month when he suffered an achilles tendon injury. "I've fallen in love with the club since moving here from Newcastle," MacDougall said yesterday. I've really enjoyed my time playing for the Rabbitohs and am excited about having the opportunity to play for the club again once I have recovered from my achilles tendon injury." 
South Sydney chief executive David Tapp revealed why MacDougall was re-signed. "Adam was in fine form for us prior to his injury and we are pleased that he will have the opportunity to perform to that standard for the next two years," Tapp said. "He has contributed greatly on the field and is still contributing to the club off the field. Adam is a great ambassador for Souths and we can't wait to have him back on the field in the red and green." 

ADAM MACDOUGALL - South Sydney Official Website
Status: HEALTHY 
Previous NRL Clubs?
Roosters, Knights

Junior Club?
Harboard Diggers, Cronulla Caringbah

First Grade debut?
Roosters 1995

Representative Honours?
NSW 98 - 01, Aus 00-01

Career Highlight?
Winning Grand Final 97

Favourite Food?
Baked Dinner

Favourite Drink?
Chocolate Milkshake

Favourite Book?
Slaying the dragon

Favourite CD/Band?
Jack Johnson

Favourite TV Show?
South Park

Favourite movie/actor?
Gladiator

Ultimate holiday destination?
Hawaii

Places you have travelled to overseas?
Europe, Thailand, Bali and Hawaii

What is your personal motto?
WHAT LIES BEFORE US AND WHAT LIES BEHIND US IS INSIGNIFICANT TO WHAT LIES WITHIN US

Other interests?
Reading, Travelling, doing as little as possible, watching other sport

Mad Dog will put bite back into the Bunnies; Sun Herald. SDec 5, 2004. 
ADAM MacDougall says he has put aside his representative aspirations to focus on turning South Sydney into the competitive outfit their fans so desperately crave.
The player nicknamed "Mad Dog" said it was high time the players earned the respect of long-suffering Rabbitohs supporters and returned some credibility to Redfern. Once one of the first players picked for the Kangaroos, MacDougall has been struck down by injury more times than most during his career. 
He was big chance to make his return to representative football for Australia in the Anzac Test in April but ruptured his Achilles tendon a week before the game and missed the rest of the season.  MacDougall, 29, managed just five games in the season. He re-signed with the Rabbitohs for two more years in May and said he would prefer to see his brother Luke play representative football than himself.  "I've changed my focus for next season," he said. "I'm a bit older, a bit wiser and I'm looking at things differently.  "Last season my main aim was to play rep footy and before I got injured the talk was that I was on the way to doing that. But next season I'm just really excited about playing for Souths. I'm intent on contributing as much as I can to the Souths cause. The Souths fans are just incredible. After we beat the Sharks this year, going back to the leagues club was like when we won the grand final at Newcastle and the next week against Parramatta you couldn't fit them all into the ground. That's what it can be like if we give them some success. There's a lot of closet Souths fans out there. It seems every second car in Sydney has a Souths sticker on it, but we have to win them back with some good performances. We have to earn their respect, we have to earn their trust. Getting Souths back up there is going to be a challenge, but it's something that I'm very excited about."
A premiership winner with Newcastle in 1997 and 2001, MacDougall said a top-eight spot was not beyond the 2004 wooden-spooners under new coach Shaun McRae and new chief executive Shane Richardson. And he added that the surprise packets of the season, North Queensland, and 2003 premiers Penrith would serve as inspiration. "There's no point tiptoeing around and saying you don't want to be successful," he said. "There's no shame in wanting to be successful and failing. We want to make the top eight. It's time the players took ownership of the club and said we want to be successful, we have to be successful and it's up to us to want it badly enough to make it happen. North Queensland and Penrith struggled for a while and then turned it around pretty quickly and there's no reason we can't."
MacDougall, who has played five Tests for Australia, and Luke, 21, formed one of the most lethal left-hand side attacking combinations in the game early this year.
MacDougall hopes to play fullback in 2005 and said the opportunity to again play beside his brother would be one of highlights of next season. "I'm happy to play wherever the coach thinks it suits the team best," he said. "But I want to get my hands on the ball as much as I can and I would like to do that at fullback. "Luke had a great year. We created some problems for a few teams and I hope we can do the same again. I can't wait to play with him again. Sometimes it's hard not to think 'What if?'. If I hadn't had those injuries [he missed 18 months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament at Newcastle in 2002]. But if it hadn't happened like it has I wouldn't have ended up signing with Souths and playing with Luke." 

Mad Dog injured again - January 3, 2005
SOUTH Sydney and former Kangaroos star Adam MacDougall has broken a foot while preparing for the 2005 NRL season. The injury-plagued MacDougall, who missed virtually all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, suffered the fracture when he dropped a weight on his foot during a Rabbitohs gym session. 
The careless accident is the latest in a long list of injuries and suspensions to have stalled his otherwise brilliant career.  Remarkably, MacDougall has managed just 97 first-grade appearances since making his premiership debut at the Sydney Roosters back in 1995. "That many?" Souths chief executive Shane Richardson half joked today. Two lengthy suspensions for taking steroids, two knee reconstructions, a broken arm and foot, hamstring and back complaints have restricted the 29-year-old utility back to more games in the grandstand than on the paddock over the past 10 seasons. But Richardson said Rabbitohs fans needn't despair, insisting MacDougall would be back on deck for the club's annual Charity Shield match against St George Illawarra at the SCG next month. "He dropped a weight on his foot and just broke a small bone. It didn't even require an operation so he'll only be out for about three weeks," Richardson said. "He can still do upper-body weights and he's fit enough anyway. He'll definitely be back for our Charity Shield match on February 19." 
All going well, the powerhouse fullback or three-quarter will finally celebrate 100 first-grade matches in Souths' home game against Canberra in round three in late March. The veteran of 11 State of Origins for New South Wales between 1998-2001 and five Tests for Australia in 2000-01 played only five games for the Rabbitohs last season. He joined Souths after 86 games in eight seasons at Newcastle and last year re-signed with the Rabbitohs until the end of 2006.

Mad Dog at fullback -  8 March, 2005
FORMER Test winger Adam MacDougall will make his first appearance for South Sydney this season at fullback as the Rabbitohs open their premiership campaign against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night. MacDougall sat out the club's pre-season trials with an Achilles injury but coach Shaun McRae named him in a 17-man squad for the game at Aussie Stadium. The 29-year-old is hoping for a change of luck after appearing in only five games for the club last season due to injuries.

Mad Dog has plenty of bite -  10 March 10, 2005
Adam MacDougall is on the comeback trail again, having gained strength through adversity, reports Greg Prichard. Adam MacDougall has been the subject of plenty of snide remarks about the games he has missed, but he doesn't care about the critics. "Mad Dog" says they are missing the point."Look, mate, I'd loved to have played 300 games, but there are some things that are out of every player's control," 
MacDougall said as he prepared to make his latest comeback from injury, for South Sydney against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night. I've dusted myself off from three major injuries during my career, and I don't know how many other blokes would have had the resolve to do that. I think that spells character and I'm proud of that.  "If people want to bag me for not playing a lot of games, then they just don't understand. When you play it as hard as I do, or a Ben Kennedy or an Andrew Johns does, you're going to get hurt sometimes. Nobody hurts as much as I do when I look back and see how unlucky I've been with injury, but I'm not beating myself up over that because, at the end of the day, I'm grateful for the opportunities that I have had in the game. I've won two grand finals with Newcastle and played State of Origin and Tests. I played for NSW in four Origin series, and if I hadn't been injured I might've played in eight, but most guys never get the chance at all. Andrew Ettingshausen played more than 300 games for Cronulla and never won a premiership and I bet 'ET' would swap some of those games for a grand final win, so I look at the positive. "The lows have been pretty low but the highs have been fantastic."
MacDougall, 29, is entering his 11th year of first grade but has played only 97 games. Last season, his first with the Rabbitohs, began promisingly with a string of good performances but ended after only five games when he tore his Achilles tendon. That followed a knee reconstruction and subsequent complications that kept him out for almost two years while he was still with the Knights, and a serious head injury way back at the start of his career with the Sydney Roosters. MacDougall was also banned for 22 matches for taking a banned substance - Sustanon 250 - in 1998. He did not inform the League he was taking the substance but once the ban was over he was allowed to keep taking it to treat a medical condition. It's been a roller-coaster ride, but MacDougall takes the view that everything happens for a reason and that good can come out of adversity. "I'm not sure where I would be now if I hadn't had that knee injury, but the way things turned out I ended up at Souths and got the chance to play alongside my brother, Luke," he said. "I can't tell you how much that means to me. There's plenty I can still achieve at Souths, too. People at the club have been tippy-toeing around the question of what we should say publicly about whether we believe we can make the eight or not, and I can understand that. No one wants to put pressure on. But if we have luck with injuries we can make the eight. Injuries will be the key."
After what he has been through, MacDougall said that if he picked up any representative jumpers this year he would treat them as a bonus rather than something he expected or thought he was due. "My aim is to play 20 first grade games," he said. "If I do that I'll be happy."

Hundred brings new hope for MacDougall -  28 March, 2005
IT'S been a long wait, but South's fullback Adam MacDougall will finally play his 100th first grade game, against Canberra at Aussie Stadium today. Relieved to reach the milestone after a shocking run of injuries, MacDougall, 29, hopes to help usher in a new era at the foundation rugby league club.  The former NSW Origin regular believes the hard work has been done off the field to rebuild Souths with the acquisition of CEO Shane Richardson, coach Shaun McRae and the recent decision to relocate to Telstra Stadium for four years from 2006. Now he says it's up to the players to deliver results on the paddock.  "If South Sydney are ever to come back to Redfern they need to be competitive and ... if Souths keep winning the wooden spoon no one in South Sydney will care about them," he said. 
"We've got to start getting results on the field. If we move to Telstra where we can financially improve ourselves and buy good players, people will want to get their bums on seats to see a competitive side." MacDougall doesn't have to look far for on-field inspiration. His younger brother Luke was again impressive with a hat-trick of tries in Souths' big last-round win over Parramatta. 

MacDougall charged for Withers hit -  29 March 2005
South Sydney fullback Adam MacDougall could face a two-week suspension after being charged by the NRL judiciary over his tackle on Canberra halfback Lincoln Withers at Aussie Stadium. MacDougall was charged with a grade one reckless high tackle, an offence which carries a two-week ban for an early guilty plea or three weeks if he unsuccessfully contests the charge. 

Souths fullback out for two matches - 30 March, 2005
SOUTH Sydney fullback Adam MacDougall received a two-match suspension yesterday when he submitted an early guilty plea to the NRL judiciary for a reckless high-tackle charge. MacDougall opted not to contest the grade one charge for his hit on Canberra halfback Lincoln Withers during the Rabbitohs' 25-18 loss to Canberra at Aussie Stadium on Monday. The 29-year-old former Test centre will miss games against the NZ Warriors at Ericsson Stadium on Sunday and Newcastle at Gosford on April 10.
 

Adam MacDougall has broken a foot while preparing for the 2005 NRL season. The injury-plagued MacDougall, who missed virtually all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, suffered the fracture when he dropped a weight on his foot during a Rabbitohs gym session.

Adam MacDougall Answers Your Questions www.souths.com.au
South Sydney Rabbitohs star recruit Adam MacDougall has answered the questions you submitted to Thumper. Keep an eye on for more online questioning sessions throughout the season.
1) I am absolutely rapt that you and Terry Hill have come across to Souths, both of you have the enthusiasm I think is needed to convert those close losses of last year into wins this year.
How are you both going to be able get your knowledge & enthusiasm across to the younger brigade and has Langers given you, and others such as Fletch, a young player to look after?
Tony, Illawong, Member.
Hi Tony,
The best way for us to get our knowledge & enthusiasm across to the younger players is to lead by example both on and off the field. I think if we can pass on some of the skills and experience we have picked up over the years, the younger guys can only benefit from it.
I haven’t been given a player to look after but Langers has asked me to keep an eye on the backs and help them whenever I can.
2) Would you care to name any young players that have caught your eye at training thus far that we should keep an eye on? 
Rob, Carlingford, Member.
Hi Rob,
I don’t want to single anyone out at this early stage of the season but in saying that, I have been impressed by the depth and the quality of the younger guys in the club.
3) I would love to see Terry Hill partner you in the centres. Is he training as a centre or as a lock? Who else is training to primarily play as a centre?
Warren, Amaroo ACT, Member.
Hi Warren,
I think at this stage of his career Terry is more suited to the forwards and he put in some great games for the Tigers at Lock last year.
We’re not short on quality centres at Souths either with guys like Shane Marteene, Todd Polglase, Shane Rigon, Lee Hookey, Owen Craigie, my brother Luke, Ahmad Bajouri and I all playing for two Centre positions in first grade.
4) The Souths backline defence in the last two years has been very ordinary to say the least. How can you, being a senior player, assist to improve this defence?
Steve, Seven Hills, Member.
Hi Steve,
I think I can help to improve the backline defence through experience and communication. These two areas are very important in creating a solid defensive line.
I think if the guys can learn from their defensive mistakes and communicate with each other effectively then you’ll see a big improvement in our defence this season.
5) Have you ever played along side your brother Luke before? If yes, what positions did you both play?
Mark, Member.
Hi Mark,
I’ve never played with Luke before. This is showing my age a bit here but Luke was in primary school when I started playing first grade.
Luke was a Centre in his younger days.
6) During your time with Souths how have you found the pre-season training compared to your Newcastle days? What are Paul Langmack’s expectations from you this year?
Peter, Wentworthville, Member.
Hi Peter,
I can honestly say that this squad has trained as hard as any I’ve been involved with in my career.
The players know how important it is to be successful this year and these guys have earned the right to be successful.
7) What was the attraction to leave Newcastle, a successful club that played in last year’s semi final series, and join Souths, a club that finished last?
Damian, Caringbah, Member.
Hi Damian,
The biggest thing for me in joining Souths was the opportunity to play with my younger brother Luke. I also think that Paul Langmack has a lot to offer as a coach and I’m looking to forward to playing this season under his coaching.
It’s also a great honour to play with a club such as Souths. The tradition and stature this club holds in the game is second to none and I wanted to be a part of that.
8) I'm telling everybody that wants to listen (and those that don't) that you will score 18 tries this season. Do you see my prediction as being realistic?
Darren, Narrabeen, Member.
Hi Darren,
I can’t promise anything mate but hopefully I can score the 18 tries you want this year.
I’ve averaged a try a game since I came back from my knee injury and I’m just under a try a game for my career.
9) What was your motivation for coming to Souths? I understand you were keen to play alongside your brother Luke, however were there other reasons?
Les, Dural.
Hi Les,
As I said probably the biggest factor in my decision to join Souths was to play with Luke. I’ve pointed out my other reasons in question 7.
10) Are you confident of being able to play at your best in a team that is rebuilding like Souths? Would you prefer centre or wing? 
Paul, Wagga Wagga, Member.
Hi Paul
I’m very confident that I can play at my best for Souths. My performance comes down to me and hopefully I can be a part of a winning South Sydney Football Club.
As for my preferred position I’d really prefer to play in the Centres this year.
11) Last year Souths had numerous "close losses" throughout the season. As a new but senior player with Souths, what do you feel is the key to making sure that Souths will be the winner of these close matches in 2004?
Michael, Mortdale, Member.
Hi Michael,
I think there are two keys to winning the close games. Firstly mental toughness and second is self belief.
We are working on these aspects of our game and then we will win the close games this year.
12) My question is would you and your brother Luke consider having a try scoring competition in 2004? The player who scores the least tries has to dye his hair and eye brows Red and Green and have his picture posted on the Souths Website. 
Kortlee, Darwin NT, Member.
Hi Kortlee,
That’s not a very fair bet if you think about it. Firstly I haven’t got that much hair left to dye red and green and second, if Luke plays outside me on the Wing this year then I just wouldn’t pass him the ball!
I don’t think that bet will be on for the season Kortlee. Hopefully we can both score a bag full of tries.
13) My question to you is how do you think the Rabbitohs will go this year with the new recruits that they have brought on board?
Alfred, Murrin Bridge.
Hi Alfred,
Souths’ recruitment this year has been excellent. There is a great crop of young players who are enthusiastic and want to play first grade football with Souths and we’ve also got a solid group of experienced players to compliment the younger guys.
Hopefully we can develop the winning culture that this club deserves through our experience and pass that on to the young players.
14) What are your personal goals you would like to achieve in 2004 with Souths?
P.J., Penshurst, Member.
Hi P.J.,
My personal goals are to stay healthy and to regain my status I had in the game before my knee injury.
15) Penrith last year (no disrespect intended to John Lang or any other coach) was an example of how players with the right team spirit, attitude and commitment (and luck with injuries) can achieve great things together. Do you think Souths can foster a great team spirit, attitude and commitment in 2004?
Gerard.
Hi Gerard,
Souths can definitely develop the winning culture you speak about. Penrith are the perfect example. It was the same at the Knights so I want to bring that to Souths.
16) As a newcomer to the club can you identify one aspect that Souths do better than Newcastle and what would be the one area that you feel the Rabbitohs should try to emulate from your former club?
Mal, Jannali, Member.
Hi Mal,
Souths’ tradition and status in the game is something they have over teams in the competition. It’s something I want to be a part of and I know the players want Souths to be successful again.
Newcastle’s greatest asset, which is something Souths can’t copy, is that they are a one team, one town club. This helps with team bonding and morale due to the geographic closeness of all of the players.
17) Welcome to Souths, good to see you following in your brother’s footsteps. Do you think you have lost any pace following the serious injury to your knee?
Chris, Moonee Ponds, Member.
Hi Chris,
Our speed testing shows that I haven’t lost any of my speed but in saying that I haven’t got the kilometres in my legs that I had before my injury. This will come back to me in time.
I have the quality just not the quantity but I will get that back.
18) Do you think there is as much pressure on you performing as there was on Chris Walker last year?
Rod, Cheltenham Victoria, Member.
Hi Rod,
There is pressure on me to perform this year as there was on Chris to perform last year. In saying that, that is one of the reasons why I came to Souths.
The Club needs not only me to perform but the whole team to perform week in and week out.
19) How did Scott Geddes' knee reconstruction go?
Terry.
Hi Terry,
Being able to speak from experience, as Scott had the same operation as me, Scott is doing very well indeed. He is progressing well and I’m looking forward to playing with him this year.
20) Coming from the Knights which we all know have passionate supporters, I wonder if you realise just how much more passionate Souths fans are? Apart from the passion, we tend to show no mercy when we are disappointed.
Will you be screaming and yelling at your thighs before each match?
Maria, Kingsgrove.
Hi Maria,
I haven’t played for Souths yet but I do know how passionate the Rabbitohs’ supporter base is. Hopefully we can make you happy and proud of us throughout the season.
As for the second part of your question, do you believe in myths?
21) How is the vibe around the players and coaching staff getting closer to 2004? Is it one of success and great excitement?
Charlie, Punchbowl, Member.
Hi Charlie,
The vibe is very positive around the Club. The players are under no illusions about the success this Club needs and it is a very exciting time to be a part of the Rabbitohs.
22) As a footballer do you get excited by what’s new or different with the club you are to play for? It could be new players, jersey design, rule changes, club direction, etc. What are you looking for, on a personal note, to achieve with the Rabbitohs in 2004, and more importantly from a team’s perspective?
Craig.
Hi Craig,
Yes I do get excited and I’m very interested in developments within the club. We are affected by everything that happens at a football club so I take great interest in the areas outside of the football team.
Souths is really moving forward and trying to better itself and we as players need to help that in any way we can.
23) Adam, along with the signing of Terry Hill, you both bring considerable NRL experience to a relatively young team. In what ways do you see this experience being transferred to situations on the field & the training paddock?
Chris, Maroubra, Member.
Hi Chris,
As I said before, Terry and myself need to lead by example with the other more experienced players like Bryan Fletcher. If we can do this effectively we are doing our job.
24) Over the past two seasons, we have seen some high profile players come to Souths for what looked like an 'end of career bludge'. Can you assure us of your dedication to our mighty club and play with the same passion as you did at Newcastle?
Glen. 
Hi Glen,
I can assure you I am not here for an ‘end of career bludge’. I made my intentions clear by only signing a one year deal with Souths rather than securing my future with a two or three year deal. I also signed with Souths for less money than I was offered by other clubs so I didn’t come to Souths for the money.
Hopefully I can show you my sincerity even further by helping this team win on the field throughout the season.
25) Were you disappointed with Ben going to Melbourne and not Souths? Was he an option? 
Michael, Member.
Hi Michael,
No I’m not disappointed. I’m really excited for him. It would have been good for the three of us to have the opportunity to play together but salary cap restrictions made that impossible.
Ben was one of Manly’s best players last season and he is looking to take his career further with the Storm. I wish him the best of luck.
26) I travel from Wollongong every game. Can you give me some good reasons why I should continue to do so?
John, Wollongong.
Hi John,
You should keep coming up to the games because the players need your support to give them that extra energy to be successful. The players want to be successful and are working hard to be successful and we want the fans to enjoy that success with us.
27) What did you really think when you read and heard all the bad press over the Souths Front Office over the last two years & did you take this into account when going to a new club?
Peter, Woy Woy, Member.
Hi Peter,
From a football point of view I don’t pay any attention to the paper talk. What’s more important to me is what Souths stands for in Rugby League and the opportunity that has been afforded me. I don’t get involved in club politics.
28) Our player roster definitely has more depth this season. Has this intensified the training sessions as players vie for spots in the top grade?
Jackie, Bondi, Member.
Hi Jackie,
You are spot on. There is plenty of competition for spots and the depth in the Club is great. It keeps everyone on their toes knowing their position isn’t guaranteed. In saying that I hope we don’t need to test our depth due to injuries.
29) What five key initiatives do you think will make a difference to Souths’ on-field performance this year?
Terry, Canberra, Member.
Hi Terry,
Five key points for Souths this season are:
a) Players taking ownership and responsibility for their actions and their performance.
b) Mental toughness.
c) Strong support from fans. This was a huge factor in the Knights’ success over the past few years.
d) Strong coaching structure and coaching support.
e) Team work and team unity.
If we get these right I think we will be a success.

http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone

Mad Dog Origin plea -  June 23, 2005
ADAM MacDougall, once the most feared winger in the game, has pleaded with NSW selectors to give him the chance to do an "Andrew Johns" in the third and deciding State of Origin game. Inspired by Johns's Origin II heroics, MacDougall sent the Blues brains trust a timely reminder of his credentials as Luke Rooney struggled to overcome a groin injury in the lead-up to this year's decider. "I would like to do an Andrew Johns and have one more opportunity to play at that level and see what I can do," MacDougall said. "That's what it's all about. I know if by some chance the opportunity would come again I wouldn't let anyone down. 
You wouldn't want for a bigger stage. I know I can perform on the big stage." 
It's been four frustrating years since MacDougall pulled on the sky-blue jersey, making the last of his 11 appearances in the third game of the 2001 series. Injuries have cruelled his representative career. Last year he was edging towards a Test recall until being struck down by an achilles injury. "I know if given the opportunity to play at that level it would be pretty easy to shine again," he said. "It's easy when you're running off Andrew Johns. I would give my left arm to get an opportunity again. Physically, I am feeling pretty good. I feel fit, I feel strong and I feel pretty good. I'd love the opportunity to play with Andrew Johns, Danny Buderus, Ben Kennedy and Steve Simpson." 
However, the 30-year-old, with a World Cup win on his resume, rates himself only a slim chance of cracking the NSW squad. Parramatta's Eric Grothe, Sydney Roosters' Amos Roberts and Bulldogs kicker Hazem El Masri are among the contenders should Rooney be ruled out. Selectors could also shunt Matt Cooper to the wing and call on Roosters centre Ryan Cross. "I don't consider myself to be a chance," MacDougall said. "As Joey (Johns) emphasised to me, once you have performed at that level, it's like riding a bike. He said the hardest thing is the mental side of it. I have always enjoyed the challenge of playing Origin at Suncorp. It's probably my favourite ground. It's a pretty hostile place. The week and the pressure can ruin some players." 
With the NSW side to be named on Monday, MacDougall can give his cause a boost with a big performance against Melbourne at Olympic Park. The other contenders for Rooney's spot also face interesting weekends.