A number of valid reasons have been given for the Roosters’ shaky title defence, which has seen them drift out of minor premiership contention after five defeats in seven.
Luke Keary’s cruel luck with concussions. Jake Friend’s ruptured bicep. Latrell Mitchell’s distractions. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ recurring appointment at the judiciary. Having to blood young talent sooner than planned. And, of course, Origin commitments.
The old adage about how hard it is to go back-to-back has rung true. Trent Robinson has refused to make excuses. He’s been here before, knows premierships aren’t won mid-season and remains unshakably calm about the run-in to September.
But watching the Roosters this season, there is a sense that something else is missing. Or, to be clearer, someone.
When it was announced this time last year that Blake Ferguson would be taking up a lucrative three-year deal at Parramatta from 2019, there was very little outcry from Roosters fans that the club hadn’t tried harder than a one-year offer to retain him.
In 2015, Ferguson arrived in the Eastern Suburbs with oversized baggage. Sacked from the Canberra Raiders, his signing had been delayed by a 2014 conviction for indecent assault and made his name a byword for everything wrong with the modern game.
While he’d settled under Robinson’s tutelage and looked one of the game’s foremost wingers in patches, there remained a nagging proneness to self-inflicted calamity, both on and off the pitch.
In particular, the infamous all-day drinking session with Josh Dugan at the Lennox Point Hotel, mid-Origin series in 2017, had seen both players exiled from rep football and was a major catalyst for the Blues’ Daley-to-Fittler cultural revolution.
But the year the Roosters decided to let him go was also the year that Ferguson, to his immense credit, decided to sort himself out. With Robinson’s guidance, he swore off alcohol from pre-season onwards, trained the house down and emerged for 2018 a different beast entirely.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Blake Ferguson 2.0 has never looked back.
If Cooper Cronk became the pilot of the team last season, there is no doubt that Ferguson was its engine – never shirking a high ball, running relentlessly on first tackle and routinely providing decisive moments inside the opposition half.
Sceptics waited for the mask to slip, for the old Fergo to reappear and for performances to drop off, particularly after his upcoming move to Parramatta was announced. Instead he kept getting better.
A monster 2018 saw him top the competition for run metres and line breaks, as well as the Roosters’ own try scoring chart. His parting gift – a key role in the grand final dismantling of the Storm – showed just what a hole he would leave.
Beyond his own stats, he makes the players around him better too. Joseph Manu, in particular, went from a promising to devastating centre in partnership with Ferguson down the right edge in 2018. It’s no coincidence that his 2019 has been notably quieter.
Ferguson’s impact on the Eels this campaign has been just as obvious, the stellar addition to a side that has gone from wooden-spooners to top eight contenders. Brad Arthur has missed no opportunity to heap praise on his professionalism and influence on the club.
The scale of his redemption was shown last week, when having not only been welcomed back into the Blues’ camp for Origin 2 and 3, Ferguson played a starring role in the series’ defining moment – laying on that last-gasp try for former Roosters team-mate James Tedesco.
The Roosters brilliant left edge – Tupou, Mitchell, Keary and Cordner – is rightly celebrated, but their right edge has lacked Ferguson’s power and game-breaking ability at times this season.
Veteran signing Brett Morris is only just back from a long injury layoff. English import Ryan Hall is finding his feet after ACL rehab and improving by the week, but lacks Ferguson’s confidence under the high ball and is yet to gel with Manu. Rookie winger Matt Ikuvalu has shown promise and vulnerability.
It might be too soon to say that not retaining Ferguson has been decisive. With rested Blues Tedesco and Cordner returning to the side this weekend, the Chooks should finally have their best side out on the park for the first time since opening round.
An unbeaten run into finals is well within the premiers’ ability and you wouldn’t bet against them from there. But if recent wobbles are any precedent and they do miss out, even a club so self-assured as the Roosters may rue letting go of that man Fergo.
Migos Sport
Roar Rookie
Surprisingly the Roosters are doing better this season than last year with a debatable stronger roster. For & Against from last season sits at a 1 point difference, (+93 last season) Currently, +94 and they were sitting 6th position same time last season before winning the Minor Premiership. Now 4th. They definitely miss his work-rate out their own end but I still think they're the team to beat for the competition. P.s great article.
JPH
Roar Rookie
Let me preface my comment by saying I'm not a fan of Fergo, or easts, however I like the essence of the article. I respect what he does as a player and agree that he was a crucial cog in easts winning the premiership last year. The role of a winger has changed; the elite wingers play as an extra forward. They take the tough carrys from the start of sets when the forwards are regathering themselves. We need to keep in mind they are giving up 10-20kgs in body mass doing so. Yes, Fergo makes errors on occasion but so do all forwards. He has the ability to take those hard hit-ups and backs it up with finishing brilliance, which is rare. The Queenslander in me doesn't love the man but I agree that he is a huge loss that easts may rue in letting him go.
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
I don’t think so. Roosters are simply going through the same thing every reining premiers go through. Lack of effort and desire
Superspud
Roar Rookie
You say origin but I can't buy that. In fact the only two games the Roosters have won since magic round were Origin effected. The only game they lost without all origin players was Penrith missing Latrell and Crichton.
Gaz
Guest
Ferguson wouldn't of helped during the Origin period, he just becomes another player requiring resting during this time
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
Thanks Paul, much appreciated. Completely agree that there’s more nuance to this than the headline suggests!
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
Completely agree and I’ve nodded to all of those reasons in the piece – other than Cronk being down in last year, which is also very valid. The headline sounds unequivocal, but all of the factors in combination have led to the shaky run – Fergo’s departure included.
Albo
Roar Rookie
I think it is a bit hard to apportion blame for the Roosters current stumbles on the lack of Fergo on their right wing ? There are numerous issues that have been at play here , and only time will tell if things will revert to their 2018 domination levels come September again this year. I would list the following issues as all playing a part in the current form inconsistencies:' 1. Fergo missing ( Hall & Ikavaklu no match) 2. Matterson missing ( strong utility especially in defence) 3. Mitchell lazy in defence ( no team focus) 4. Keary missing ( becoming a bit of a crock now) 5. Friend missing from dummy half ( I think this is the number one problem for months) 6. Cronk becoming more pedestrian. ( Just about had enough) 7. Teddy & Cordner missing matches through Origin & rest periods. (hopefully the rest will now do them good) 8. JWH missing at times through suspension & injury So they have had some issues, but similar to 2018 , they can still turn all that around for the September run to the prize. They have just about their top side now back on the park and I still rate them as favourites to go back to back.
TJ
Guest
Yeah totally agree that they are not as dangerous on that right side this year. Just don't think that's the cause of their problems at the moment.
Paul
Roar Guru
first of all, many thanks for posting this interesting first article, Nick. You've taken an angle I and others might not have considered, first of all about Ferguson and his impact on the Roosters, but whether his move to Parra has had a significant impact on the team. IMO the simple answer is no and yes. If Easts had all players fit, Hall would be there having well and truly settled into the squad and made that position his own. Robinson and Easts would have had more of chance to see how they best use Hall and obviously he would be able to form better combinations with his inside guys. The fact that Easts have rarely had their best team on the field this year, highlights the work Ferguson DID do when he was on song last year. Is he the only or main reason they're spluttering - probably not, but is his absence hurting the current side, for sure, but there's no point wishing for what you can't have.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
I haven’t criticised Tupou at all - he’s been great all year, and is largely unheralded for his work. But the threat down both wings last year was so dangerous. I hope Hall keeps improving and he deserves time for sure. And we can all agree on Superspud’s point re Cronk.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
You’ll see that I’ve acknowledged that at the beginning. Despite the headline, it’s been a combination of things - but I felt the Fergo absence had been overlooked. Losing five from seven is stuttering by any measure. But I’ve said they still have a great chance of going on a run from here.
gregjm
Guest
Or maybe it is having two of their spine missing for long periods of the year. And currently sitting in the top 4, is not exactly stuttering.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Thanks TJ, was going to mention how Hall is coming on very quickly, remembering he was not part of pr-season training because of his knee injury. Like what he did last week. Poor old Cooper his body is starting to tell him that enough is enough....
TJ
Guest
Disagree with this. Tupou has really stepped up this year and Hall is getting better and better each week. Hall has actually been extremely solid under the high ball and with his ball handling in general. Can't actually remember him dropping one to be honest. He's also averaging over 160m per game which is great. Agree with Superspud that Cronk seems to be a bit of a problem and it looks like he's made the right decision to retire after this season. As long as Keary, Teddy and Mitchell are fit I think the Roosters are still in a great position to go back to back though.
Nat
Roar Guru
I think back to Hall's first game in NRL against the Broncos, what a baptism of fire that was (and one of the very few occasions the Broncos have aimed up this year). All he needs to be is a good winger and stay in position for when Manu and Tede and running amok down the right side. I certainly wouldn't want to be standing in front of him 1m out from the line.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
I hope you’re right about Ryan Hall, particularly as a fellow Pom. You can already see he’s a real effort player, his metres are on the rise and he’s definitely feeling his way into things. Recovering from ACL surgery and stepping up a level into NRL at the same time can’t be easy. He’s got a similar frame to Fergo - built like a forward on the wing - but looks less of an aerial threat so far. Maybe that will come with form/confidence. Those teams within the team were so important last year - the Fergo/Manu partnership being one of those. With the left side so disrupted by injuries and positional shifts this year, they’ve missed a right-sided threat all the more.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
Agree that both of those reasons have been significant, but that there’s also been a reluctance to acknowledge how important Fergo was to the club last year. Taking his contribution in both defence and attack out of any team would weaken it considerably.
Nick Parmenter
Roar Rookie
I agree with much of what you’ve said. The point about Cooper isn’t one that I’d thought of but you’re right - he is definitely down on last year and even with Keary back on Sunday he was a little exposed. Being the pro he is I’m sure he’ll put in everything to try to lift again before he retires - expect he may get a rest or two as well. While there are multiple factors at work, I felt that Fergo’s departure had been largely overlooked - and until last week, many had been reluctant to give him credit for how he’s turned himself around. You’re right about how good Tupou has been on the left, but the Roosters definitely miss having that kind of presence down both wings. Hall isn’t necessarily shaky under the high ball but he doesn’t have the same leap - to be fair most players would be damned by comparison to Fergo on top form. Also agree with you about defence being down, but would argue that’s another area where he is missed - both out on the wing and drifting infield, as he does so effectively.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
What's happening to the Chooks has happened to most defending premiers to varying degrees for a long time now. They are rated favorites and midway thru the season they are flying high with the punters are saying they are certainties for the GF. It's normal for them to go wobbly just like the Chooks are. It's still possible for them to fire up because the roster is so good. The biggest story about the Chooks last year was Latrell Mitchell and if he plays like he did again the whole dynamic changes. He didn't just score and set up tries but scored tries that weren't on and in the process demoralised his opponents. All the other Chooks played their part but he was the one who took them above the pack I believe.