Confessed peptide user Sandor Earl may have stolen Canberra’s bad boy tag, but the NRL club still hasn’t located his troubled mate and possible budding boxer Blake Ferguson.
The AWOL centre was last seen at Raiders HQ on Saturday, with CEO Don Furner unable to speak to Ferguson the entire week.
Ferguson had advised the Raiders to contact his second-cousin Anthony Mundine after failing to show up for a meeting on Tuesday night, however the club had no success in doing so.
While Mundine could have provided a stable influence for Ferguson, the bad news is he flew to the US on Friday to promote a proposed boxing bout against Shane Mosley in Sydney on October 23.
However it’s understood the undercard fight is open and being courted as a possible option for Ferguson, who has been talking to sports agent Khoder Nasser.
News of Ferguson’s potential boxing career comes just one day after reports emerged that he had been charged by police for allegedly driving with a suspended license whilst speeding 18km/h over the limit.
He is scheduled to appear at Moss Vale Local Court on October 21 – two days before his proposed professional boxing debut.
After standing down the missing star without pay on Thursday, the Raiders say the alleged driving offences will also be taken into account when considering Ferguson’s future at the club.
However it’s highly unlikely that meeting will ever take place.
The 23-year-old has the option for a get-out clause in his contract as of October 31 that was triggered when head coach David Furner was sacked last week.
It’s almost certain that if the Raiders don’t cut him loose before then, he’ll trigger that clause to be closer to family and friends in Sydney.
The distraction couldn’t come at a worse time for Ferguson’s teammates, who have slumped to 12th place after four straight losses.
His latest Houdini act is just one of many off-field indiscretions over the past nine months, the most serious of which being the alleged indecent assault of a woman in a Cronulla bar in June for which he’ll front a Sydney court next Tuesday over.
Other indiscretions include drinking with sacked teammate Josh Dugan instead of turning up to a recovery session in March, and being kicked out of a music festival last November after allegedly spitting on patrons.
No wonder Raiders interim coach Andrew Dunemann earlier in the week admitted the whole Ferguson saga had become a circus.
Meanwhile Canberra have re-signed under 20s stars fullback Jack Ahearn, centre Jeremy Hawkins and prop Jeff Lynch until the end of 2015.
Linedropout
Roar Pro
Largely due to the ridiculous amounts of money they're earning. Greasy agents like Nasser pump their clients up to believe they're worth 150% more than they actually are.
john badseed
Guest
storm need a centre and he'd fit under the cap i'm pretty sure
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Unless the guy can somehow get his act together off the field,I don't want him anywhere near the Sharks. This was the same gent a couple of years ago who famously stated the reason he wanted to leave Cronulla was so he could play semis football. Thank you linesmen, thank you ballboys,his semis went which way? Yeah he should go to boxing,a few good uppercuts may knock some sense into him methinks.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
I hope he never comes back to Canberra ever again.
Wozza
Guest
Most of the mungbean crowd are anything but aussies Steve ....the rest is made up of boofheads hoping to see him get belted ....
Steve
Guest
"Boxing" yeah: it would end up being a four round exhibition match against an insurance agent, or some such nonsense. I wish the Aussie sporting public would have the brains and self-respect to not go to these joke fights- just let the trend wither and die by not supporting it.
Wozza
Guest
Agreed oiks....don't expect the boss to pat you on the back and take ya to the pub for drinks on ya last day when ya goin to work for the opposition....and get it right pest ,who made money outta who ????
Wilson Flatley
Roar Rookie
I would love to see Blake Ferguson try boxing, looking at his performances in interviews and on television he doesnt have 1/10th of the courage required to go 10 rounds. They'll pick some washed up 40 year old who'll towel the kid up.
Darren Wyer
Guest
Reminds me of sbw with Ferguson just disappearing from his team without telling anyone wouldn't be surprised to see him in French rugby lol or maybe mundine and khoder have worked out French rugby is too long a process and he will turn up in a super rugby side after his boxing foray
peeeko
Roar Guru
i think there is a simpler explanation Pest and its not blaming the NRL, some players are beyond help and are just idiots
Gippy
Guest
Given that Mother Theresa has long since gone to God, Ferguson must be reckoned to have a slim chance of winning. Can't see Mundine's advice being of any use to anyone. Suggest cutting Ferguson loose, so that he can experience the 'real world'.
oikee
Guest
Yes help them, but isn't punishment part of that help. Look, i think the NRL has to look after Sandor Earl, go find him and bring him under their wing and help him through this, the last guy in England who had these issues was found hanging in a garage. So bring Earl in and give him help. He is not a hardened criminal. Second, get the big stick out and start rubbing these players out for a period of time, fix up the loopholes in contracts, give some help to the raiders because signing juniors is not working for this club, probably never will work for obvious reasons. Location. I also think every player must come through the reserve grade comp before being allowed to play in the NRL. this will also help mature younger players. Mate ,,,, we need smarts as Paul Kent said. I dont take too much notice of Kent, but he is right on this point, Our code has not got people with brains involved that we need to run a code in this day and age. It is why i was screaming to get rid of the dinosaurs, the game has changed, the youth has changed, the times have changed, and our code needs to change or get left behind. And that is the problem, i keep talking about taking 3 years to make a decision, change a rule or whatever, we cant afford to take that long to do things anymore, we are getting left behind, lightyears behind. The video ref guy talking was a shambles, superleague has this spot-on. And our code called it a ground breaking idea. It was terrible, it is done by superleague who do it right, they talk you through the replay and tell you what is happening. The way channell 9 and our video man did this was frustrating. He was talking after the fact and play had already started again,. Then we had them trying to explain what was happening. No wonder ,,,,,,,, just no wonder,,, i am out of wondering.
GW
Roar Pro
That's crap - there have to be more self indulged spoilt brats in Canberra that he could identify with? Like Barba, Fergo has totally lost his teammates, so he's gone. Tony Milford is a great citizen, just wish he would stay in Canberra, where we have as many beaches as his home town does.
GW
Roar Pro
Oikee - Earl was at the Panthers when he did the wrong thing. The NRL did bloody nothing when Dugan walked out (PLEASE don't come back saying the Raiders sacked him - you try not turning up for work for a few weeks and publicly bag out the boss, you too will be sacked!) and since then, the young players with a lot of ability are just doing what they want. It's like trying to get your 18 year old child to see that they have it really good at home, they won't see it for a few years. The NRL has to de-register these big heads for a year or so, and see the behaviour improve.
turbodewd
Roar Guru
Boxing is last century's sport, we all know MMA (UFC) is rolling in crowds, buzz and events. Fergo shud stik to NRL where his prowess lies. He is the best center in the NRL. I suspect he simply has no frendz anymore at Canberra, i.e Dugan and Sandor are gone. Thats the thing fellas!
Wozza
Guest
To say mungbean could provide a stable influence is a joke .....he's the most devicive high profile sportsman in Australian history and will do nothing for Ferguson if it doesn't promote his own causes ....I'm sick of seeing these big headed primadonnas getting headlines for being deads#%ts... If they were in the workforce theyde be sacked and if someone rang fora reference theyd be told don't employ them they're trouble .... You say help em oikee ...that's the problem with this generation they never get off the tit and just want want want ...cut em loose and keep the kids that respect the game and its history ....
oikee
Guest
Yes, that is true and fair enough, but he is running off to union, you cant expect our code to promote him. He burnt his bridges, time to move on. Once they mention union you know it is over.
Pest
Guest
The Nrl and ch 9 have made big $$$$ on the back of Benji , and rightly so but where was the respect to this bloke when being presented his 200th and final home game , the Burgesses are good but there not in Benjis league when it comes to the market value for the product , have you ever seen Benji perform a grub act on the field I can't remember him being sent off or binned , yes his decision to wear the rival codes jersey was wrong but Benji has made the NRL more $$$$ than he's been paid , imagine he received just 5%of his market value for what he's done for this game , just disappointed at the lack of respect shown to this bloke and the many before him
oikee
Guest
Not sure what you mean. Look the Burgess boys are playing rugby league, not running off to union. Benji burnt his own Bridges, he could have been playing for another club, plenty would have wanted him, he decided to go to union and if anything, i feel sorry for the Blues for buying him. I like Benji, but he has not endured himself to the fans this year. I have wished him luck in his new venture, he should never have left our game. Getting sand kicked in your face every week wears down even the most hardened rusted on fans. Time to move on.
Pest
Guest
The lack of support for the Raiders by the NRL just shows how amateur they are, but by the same token the way the NRL sold its self on the back of Benji, and the lack of respect shown to him by the NRL last night in his 200 th is also disgusting , instead of a presentation we were dished up pommy sxxt, on this issue I agree Oik , the NRL are PATHETIC