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'Good enough to play international rugby': Western Force confirm interest in NRL star Blake Ferguson
The Western Force have confirmed their interest in NRL star Blake Ferguson after the Parramatta Eels wing was linked to a cross-code move on Wednesday.
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Speaking on NRL 360 earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph sports editor-at-large Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield revealed Ferguson, the out-of-favour 31-year-old, is being circled by a rugby union side.
The Force have since confirmed that they are keen on signing Ferguson, who has enjoyed a glittering rugby league career since his NRL debut in 2009.
The Perth-based franchise’s chief executive Tony Lewis told the Sydney Morning Herald that the Force have approached Ferguson and are interested in both his on-field ability and how he can assist in developing an indigenous education program.
“We are very serious on the approach,” Lewis told the Herald. “We believe Blake would be an exceptional rugby player. We think he is good enough to play international rugby.”
The acquisition of Ferguson would be yet another high-profile signing by the Force since their return to Super Rugby last year following a three-year absence from the competition.
After their winless campaign in last year’s inaugural Super Rugby AU competition, the Force, backed by billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest, recruited strongly for the 2021 season.
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New players this year included Wallabies trio Tevita Kuridrani, Tom Robertson and Sitaleki Timani, Los Pumas stars Domingo Miotti, Tomas Cubelli, Tomas Lezana and Santiago Medrano, Ireland legend Rob Kearney, promising English wing Jordan Olowofela and Wallabies prospect Toni Pulu.
Already equipped with ex-All Blacks pair Richard Kahui and Jeremy Thrush, former Wallabies duo Greg Holmes and Kyle Godwin, USA Eagles wing Marcel Brache, Manu Samoa international Henry Taefu and new Wallabies hooker Feleti Kaitu’u, the Force improved drastically this season.
After qualifying for their first-ever play-offs match in Super Rugby history, the Force’s third-place finish in Super Rugby AU was followed by an admirable showing in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, where they held their largely own against the vastly superior Kiwi sides.
With their aggressive recruitment scheme paying dividends on the field, it appears the Force are set to continue their off-field raid of the player market, with Ferguson the latest high-profile name on their hit list.
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The Force have already secured the signatures of Brumbies quartet Reesjan Pasitoa, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Bayley Kuenzle and Reece Tapine for the 2022 season, while Crusaders and Fiji wing Manasa Mataele is reportedly a transfer target.
There are some exceptional young props coming through the ranks in New Zealand right now and some will be called upon for the upcoming #AllBlacks series. #SuperRugbyTT
?? @TomVinicombehttps://t.co/GchgcS10YY
— The XV Rugby (@TheXV) June 18, 2021
None, however, offer the star power that Ferguson would provide given his status in rugby league.
With almost 250 NRL appearances to his name, Ferguson has scored 122 tries in a career spanning 12 years that has seen him play for the Cronulla Sharks, Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters – who he won the NRL Premiership with in 2018 – and now the Eels.
Ferguson has also accrued seven tests for the Kangaroos, nine caps for New South Wales and seven appearances for the Indigenous All-Stars since 2010.
Although he has never played rugby union professionally, Ferguson’s agent Sam Ayoub confirmed to the Herald that his client is considering a move to Perth, and Rothfield backed the experienced campaigner to make a successful cross-code switch.
“Look back at the history of rugby league wingers jumping ship; Semi Radradra, Curtis Rona, [Suliasi] Vunivalu and Marika Koroibete,” Rothfield told NRL 360.
“I think he could make the change, I think there has been interest there and he could make a lot more money than what an NRL club would be prepared to pay.
“We might lose him, one of the most colourful players, at the end of the year.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Does a blitz defence not have a weekness against a well-placed grubber kick, perhaps angled cleverly. All the defence is up and the full-back can only cover so much ground. Thoughts?
28 Go to commentsWhile Iose is destructive in the Canes set-up, he is not big for an international 8 and could struggle against the top teams. With his speed, he could be developed into a seven but, as Ben points out, he doesn’t show a scavenging game with the Canes or make dominating tackles. Sotutu has shown a step up this year and attitude plus motivation seems to be the big areas of growth. Deserves another AB shot imo.
3 Go to commentsNaholo is my only question mark for this side. He wasn’t the only one who had a forgettable game against the Brumbies but he was passive, defensively poor and generally lacked energy. Needs to get a whole lot busier for me. I would have liked to see Sullivan on that wing with Higgins on the bench (if staying with a 6-2 as BeegMike points out on here!)
3 Go to commentsWell, I am sure that Eben said exactly what he meant to say, exactly how he meant to say it. Does he strike you as a man that doesn't know arrogance when he sees it. He should know it because he has shaken the arrogance out of many foes before.
130 Go to commentsPls get it into your thick arrogant heads that the final was played by two Southern Hemisphere teams. The best against the best and that Argentina was just unlucky otherwise non of the Northetn Hemisphere teams would have seen the light of day.
130 Go to commentsAs long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
130 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
130 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to comments