Why becoming a better man has made Blake Ferguson an even better footballer

AS Blake Ferguson closes in on one of the game’s rarest milestones, he opens up about why becoming a better man has made him a better footballer.

Paul CrawleyNRL

3 min read

September 28, 2018 - 10:52AM

BLAKE Ferguson made a promise when he returned from rehab to start preparing for the 2018 NRL season.

He not only swore off the grog and gambling, but the towering Sydney Roosters winger also vowed this was going to be the year he finally became the man and the footballer he always wanted to be.

And here we are in grand final week.

Not only has Ferguson made it through a full season without slipping up, but he is also closing in on one of the game’s rarest milestones.

After his best and most consistent year since coming into first grade as a teenager a decade ago, the now 28-year-old is on target to become only the third player to clock up 5000m in a season.

Ferguson has changed his life. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck holds the record with 5795m set in 2015, while last year Jason Taumalolo made 5050m on North Queensland’s run to the grand final.

But if Ferguson continues his average of 188m against Melbourne, he will overtake Taumalolo to stand second on the all-time list.

Ferguson has already charged for 4878m and to put that in perspective it is over 500m more than the NRL’s next best, teammate James Tedesco (4306m), while the nearest winger is Brisbane’s Corey Oates (3179m).

“I worked really hard in the off season,” Ferguson told The Daily Telegraph.

“I had a break.

“I went away and worked on myself.

“And then I came back and I felt really fresh and clear-headed.

The Roosters flyer has enjoyed the best season of his career. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

“It was my first pre-season in like three years, and to get a full pre-season under my belt, I came into the season really confident.

“I just felt like over the years I have been happy to do my job.

“But this year I actually wanted to focus on doing my job a lot better, and not being happy with my last game.”

And more than anything, he wanted to repay everyone in his life for giving him support through his challenges.

After recently signing to play at Parramatta next season, Ferguson concedes “it sucks” that this will be his final game for the Roosters.

And that’s nothing against the Eels.

It is just that Ferguson says he is so thankful for what the Roosters and in particular chairman Nick Politis have done for him since he arrived in 2014 after being sacked by Canberra.

On Wednesday, Ferguson was named winger of the year. AAP Image/David Rowland.

“Words can’t describe how much he means to me,” Ferguson said of Politis.

“I was probably lost when he picked me up.

“He gave me an opportunity.

“And then he got to me to where I am today.”

While Ferguson lost his place in the NSW side this year, he won the Dally M Winger of the Year award on Wednesday night and also polled highest for his club in the overall Player of the Year category.

On top of making his most metres in a season, Ferguson has also scored a career-high 18 tries (his previous best was 13 in 2011 and 2012), and 24 linebreaks also beats his previous best (15), while 82 tackle busts is second most in his 10-year career.

The struggles of Ferguson’s early life have been well documented after he grew up surrounded by drugs and violence, as have some of the off field issues he has had along the way.