Blake Ferguson (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 20 March 1990 Wellington, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Wing, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 24 July 2023
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Blake Ferguson (born 20 March 1990) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played as a winger or centre.
During his rugby league career, he played for several teams. These included the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters, and Parramatta Eels. He also played for the Leigh Leopards in England.
Blake represented the Indigenous All Stars and Country NSW. He also played for New South Wales in the State of Origin series. He was part of the NSW Blues team that won the 2019 State of Origin series. He also won the 2018 NRL Grand Final with the Sydney Roosters. Ferguson is also an amateur boxer.
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About Blake Ferguson
Blake Ferguson was born in Wellington, New South Wales, on 20 March 1990. He is of Aboriginal descent, from the Wiradjuri people. This heritage made him eligible to play for the Indigenous All Stars team.
He started playing junior rugby league for the Wellington Cowboys and Earlwood Saints.
Rugby League Career
Playing for the Sharks
Blake Ferguson was the top try scorer for the 2009 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season. He was almost named Rookie of the Year at the 2009 Dally M Awards.
He left the Sharks at the end of 2010. This was because his contract allowed him to leave if his coach, Ricky Stuart, also left the club.
Time with the Raiders
Ferguson joined the Canberra Raiders in 2011. He signed a two-year contract with them. He was the Raiders' top try-scorer during the 2011 Canberra Raiders season.
He continued to be a strong player for the Raiders. He was the club's top try scorer for the 2013 Canberra Raiders season.
Playing for the Roosters
In May 2014, Ferguson signed with the Sydney Roosters. He had to wait until the 2015 season to play for them. He was seen as a key player to replace Sonny Bill Williams, who left the club.
For the 2015 NRL season, Ferguson played very well. Many people thought he was one of the best new players that season. He was expected to play as a fullback for the 2016 NRL season. However, after one game, he moved back to the centres position.
Ferguson was part of the Roosters team that reached the finals in 2017. In one important game, he made a play that almost cost his team the win. But the Roosters still managed to win in the final minutes. In another big game, he scored a try, but his team lost in an upset.
On 4 July 2018, Ferguson signed a three-year contract with the Parramatta Eels. He chose them over other clubs. He wanted to stay with the Roosters, but they only offered him a one-year deal.
In his last game for the Roosters, the 2018 NRL Grand Final, he played the second half with a broken leg. This showed his dedication to the team.
Years with the Eels
Ferguson started playing for Parramatta in Round 1 of the 2019 season. He scored his first two tries for the club in Round 2. In Round 5, he got a broken nose and bruised ribs. This meant he missed the next game.
In July 2019, Ferguson had to stop playing due to a knee infection. He needed surgery and was out for seven weeks. His coach said that his health was the most important thing.
When he returned, Parramatta finished fifth in the regular season. In the elimination final, Ferguson scored a try. Parramatta won the game 58–0. This was the biggest finals win in history for the club. It was also Parramatta's largest win over Brisbane.
In 2020, Ferguson scored his first try of the year in Round 17. This was his first try in almost a year. In 2021, he scored two tries in a win against Cronulla-Sutherland. The next week, he scored two more tries against the Wests Tigers.
Later in 2021, Ferguson was not chosen for the New South Wales State of Origin team. He was also dropped from the Parramatta team for a game. After seven weeks, he returned to the team. In Round 24, he scored two tries against Melbourne. This win ended Melbourne's 19-game winning streak.
In the 2021 Finals Series, Ferguson scored two tries in a win against Newcastle. His final game for Parramatta was the next week, where they lost to Penrith. He left the Parramatta club on 22 September 2021.
Playing in England
On 29 April 2022, the RFL Championship team Leigh announced they had signed Ferguson. He joined them on a one-year deal.
On 23 May 2022, Ferguson played his first game for Leigh. He scored four tries in a big win. A few days later, he won his first trophy with Leigh. They beat Featherstone 30-16 in the RFL 1895 Cup final.
On 3 October 2022, Ferguson played in Leigh's Million Pound Game victory. This win meant the club was promoted back to the Super League.
Later Career
In October 2023, it was reported that Blake Ferguson had joined the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs. His contract with them ended early in April 2024. The next day, Ferguson signed with a new club, the Wellington Cowboys.
Representative Rugby League
All Stars Team
In 2010, Blake was chosen to play for the Indigenous All-Stars team. He replaced an injured player. In that game, he famously chased down and tackled Israel Folau.
Country New South Wales
In 2012, Ferguson had a great season. He was chosen to represent the Country New South Wales rugby league team.
New South Wales State of Origin
In 2013, Ferguson made his debut for the New South Wales rugby league team. This was in Game I of the 2013 State of Origin series. He had been asked to play for Queensland, but he chose New South Wales.
In 2018, Ferguson was not selected for the State of Origin series. The coach chose other players instead.
However, Ferguson was selected for Game 2 of the 2019 State of Origin series. New South Wales won that game 38–6. He was also chosen for Game 3, the deciding match. With only one minute left in the game, Ferguson made a great run. He passed the ball to James Tedesco, who scored the winning try. This helped New South Wales win the series with only 20 seconds left.
Playing for Australia
In 2012, he was part of the training squad for the Australian national team.
On 6 May 2016, Ferguson made his international debut for Australia. This was against New Zealand in the 2016 Anzac Test. He scored a try in his first game for his country.
Boxing Career
Blake Ferguson also has a professional boxing career. He made his professional boxing debut on 27 November 2013. He fought against Luke Turner in his first match.
Images for kids
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Ferguson playing for Cronulla in 2009
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Ferguson playing for the Canberra Raiders in 2012
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Ferguson playing for the Parramatta Eels in 2021
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Ferguson representing the Prime Ministers XIII in 2011
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Ferguson playing for Australia
