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Blake's ability to reach Fergilicious levels depends on future conduct

22nd December, 2014
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Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan were cleared by the NSWRL. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Expert
22nd December, 2014
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Blake Ferguson made all the right noises when it was announced the NRL had agreed to register his contract with the Sydney Roosters for next season, but what he says doesn’t really matter. It’s what he does that will count.

Plenty of players learn from their mistakes when it comes to off-field incidents. They realise they’ve got a valuable career to protect and change their ways.

Then there are the others who always seem to have another incident left in them.

Ferguson spent an entire season out of the game after he was found guilty of the indecent assault of a woman at a nightclub and deregistered by the NRL. That’s a big chunk out of a professional footballer’s time on the field, but the punishment had to be severe.

“I’ve worked very hard to become a better person and to change what people think of me,” Ferguson posted on social media.

He said he’d had “ups and downs, relapsing and falling into bad habits” and that he “took for granted what I had and what talent I was given”.

Ferguson thanked his partner and the Roosters for supporting him and added that “now I’ve been given a second chance to make something of my life again” he would “continue to work on myself as a person and repay the faith the Roosters have shown me”.

He would have rocks in his head if he was thinking any other way, but, as I said earlier, the proof is in the pudding with these things.

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One thing is for sure. Ferguson is a genius player. The fact he was able to be so good on the field in the past despite being a loose cannon off it tells me that if he really has his life on track he will quickly rise to be among the 10 best players in the game, with the potential to press for the top five.

Should he have been barred from the game for longer? Maybe even for good? No, I think it’s fair enough to let him back into the NRL now. One of the great things about the game of rugby league is that it is always prepared to forgive and provide second chances.

But surely Ferguson realises that if he falls off the rails big-time again his career really is severely threatened. Ferguson was, of course, last seen in Canberra colours. He let that club down badly towards the end of the 2013 season.

Ever since the push for Ferguson to revive his NRL career began it was clear the Roosters had the inside running to sign him. As far back as last May the NRL allowed the Roosters to employ him in what was described as a community-based role.

It was reported at the time that the NRL was satisfied Ferguson was only on a small salary and that it wasn’t enough to give the club a prior advantage if the time came to offer him an actual playing contract.

Ferguson can play for any club he likes, if that club wants him. The Roosters obviously wanted him pretty bad and came up with a plan that gave the club the front running if he was cleared to play again. They wanted him and they got him. Good luck to them.

Part of the nature of a top-flight coach is that he believes he can turn a wayward player around. Roosters coach Trent Robinson is obviously backing himself and his club to do that with Ferguson.

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But while the possibility of being successful in that endeavour is always there, it also always remains possible that coaches and club officials can use as many safe-guards as possible and still not succeed, through no fault of their own.

In the end, it’s really up to Ferguson whether he wants to make his career as brilliant and spectacular as it still can be.

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