'Didn't think we'd get caught': NRL star's damning virus breach reveal

Dragons star Josh McGuire revealed he 'didn't think he would get caught' when attending Paul Vaughan's infamous Shellharbour party during Sydney's Covid restrictions.

Vaughan lost his Dragons contact last week after hosting a gathering during NSW Covid stay-at-home orders.

Ten of the Dragons' dirty dozen were read the riot act by ropeable club officials on returning to training on Monday, with Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro still absent after refusing to sign sworn statements.

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But in a first, McGuire and Blake Lawrie became the first of the dozen who attended the party to speak to the media about the situation.

Lawrie claimed he didn't know he was breaking any biosecurity measures after he pointed out all of the players were in their own bubble.

However, McGuire shouldered some of the blame as one of the senior members of the group.

"We did understand (what we were doing was wrong). We can't sit here and say we didn't," McGuire said.

"We were in Shellharbour which is a long way away from everything that was happening.

"The decision to go to the barbecue, everyone made. At the end of the day we just thought that there wasn't going to be a drama and we wouldn't get caught.

"We just thought if we kept it within the team it wasn't going to be a big deal and obviously it is."

Dragons facing player crisis against Manly

The dragons are facing a player crisis for their weekend clash against Manly, after a number of players set to serve their bans this weekend.

Matt Dufty, Tyrell Fuimaono and Kaide Ellis will not be named to face Manly and instead the first to serve their one-game bans.

Lomax and Alvaro will also miss that and the next two games, with the pair refusing to sign a sworn version of events of the night and therefore not able to fly into the Queensland bubble until Sunday.

It's now believed their decision is based on a fear they will be liable for any player who contracts COVID-19 if they sign the statement.

with AAP

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