NRL 2021: Blake Ferguson eyes switch to Japanese rugby, trainers mic’d up

The NRL’s continued push to improve player safety, a Parramatta veteran’s code swap and the Waratahs circle a goalkicking Sea Eagle.

Blake Ferguson celebrates a try with his Eels teammates. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Blake Ferguson could play his last NRL game on Sunday with the ex-Kangaroo in discussions to sign a rich Japanese rugby deal.

Sport Confidential has learnt ex-Wallaby coach Michael Cheika is the man pushing for Ferguson to switch codes. Ferguson is closing in on a deal with the NEC Green Rockets, where Cheika is director of rugby.

Ferguson was in discussions to join the Western Force earlier this year but it is understood those negotiations have not progressed. Instead Japan now looms as his most likely destination for at least the next two seasons.

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Cheika is in Queensland as part of the Argentinian coaching staff while Ferguson is also in the sunshine state as he prepares for what could be his final NRL match for the Eels against Newcastle on Sunday.

Ferguson is in the final year of a rich $550,000 contract at the Eels. He has had a mixed season when he went from the verge of being picked for NSW to being dumped to reserve grade shortly after.

Blake Ferguson could be off to Japanese rugby. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Cheika, who is also coach of Lebanon’s rugby league team, has already landed one NRL player after securing Newcastle Knights back Gehamat Shibasaki from next season.

Ferguson, 31, has generated plenty of headlines during his NRL career which started as a teenager at the Sharks. He won a premiership with the Roosters after spending 12 months on the sidelines for an off-field incident.

Ferguson also played nine games for NSW and seven Tests for Australia.

Fellow NRL players Will Chambers and Jordan Rapana have had mixed stints in Japan recently.

TRAINERS IN TUNE WITH DOCTORS

There was a subtle rule change last weekend which was missed by many. During the Canterbury and Wests Tigers clash each club’s orange shirt medical trainer was spotted wearing an ear piece.

The NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley confirmed a trial was being conducted in the final regular season match of the year.

“Based on the feedback on the day, the trial was successful,” Annesley said.

Boo Bailey’s take on the week in sport.

“It meant the orange shirt medical trainer had open communications with the team doctor, allowing for quicker decisions to be made particularly around head knocks.

“The team doctors had real-time access to the on-field testing while the orange shirt trainers could communicate immediately with the medical staff to assess specific vision through the sideline injury surveillance technology.

“Ultimately, it will be a decision for the Commission to make as to whether to progress the initiative into further matches. But we are always looking for ways to improve our head injury protocols.”

TAHS CIRCLING SEA EAGLES FLYER

One of the NRL’s brightest young prospects is on the verge of a code-switch to join the NSW Waratahs.

Manly flyer Tevita Funa is in discussions with the Waratahs about joining the rugby franchise at the end of this season. Funa, 23, has had limited opportunities with the Sea Eagles this year as a result of their largely injury free star-studded backline.

The goalkicking outside back has played four games this year after playing 12 matches in 2020. He is off-contract at season’s end.

Tevita Funa has had limited opportunities at the Sea Eagles this season. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tepai Moeroa was the last high-profile NRL player to try their hand at rugby but his stint lasted just seven games before he returned to rugby league with the Storm midway through this season.

The Waratahs signed Australian Sevens star Dylan Pietsch on a two-year deal earlier this week. The speedster was part of Australia’s Olympics campaign this year.

BURTON HEADS NEW CAMPAIGN

Matt Burton is fast turning into one of the most popular and marketable faces in the NRL.

After starting the season in reserve grade, he is now a key part of Penrith’s premiership charge and will become the most important member of Canterbury’s rebuild next year.

And the 21-year-old from Dubbo has now teamed up with NSW Police and DrinkWise to front a campaign promoting an important alcohol message during his first finals series – Always respect, always DrinkWise.

“We want the fans to enjoy themselves while watching the finals series but just remember if you are having a drink, make sure it’s in moderation and look out for each other,” Burton said.

This campaign is aimed at reminding the community about the importance of moderating alcohol consumption and always being respectful towards others.

Sydney Roosters NRLW captain Corban Baxter is also part of the campaign. The Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign will be promoted throughout the NRL finals series.

Panthers star Matt Burton has teamed up with the NSW Police and Drinkwises for their new ad campaign.

TSZYU CHASING FRESH TARGET

Tim Tszyu is chasing a fight against American dangerman Terrell Gausha or Japanese slugger Takeshi Inoue after Tony Harrison pulled out of negotiations to challenge Australia’s contender.

Former world champion Harrison had been confident of taking out Tszyu, but all of a sudden got cold feet when the fight contract was sent to him two weeks ago.

His promoters Premier Boxing Champions tried to alleviate his fears that he wouldn’t have proper sparring in Australia by agreeing to fly a training partner with him, but that wasn’t enough.

The Tszyu team then said they would be willing to travel to Harrison’s backyard and fight him in the United States, yet heard nothing back.

After Harrison failed to respond to a deadline this week, Tszyu’s promoters No Limit have turned their attention to Gausha (22-2-1, 11KO) or Inoue (17-1-1, 10KO) for a mid-November showdown.

Tony Harrison has pulled out of negotiations to fight Tim Tszyu.

Gausha is a former Olympian whose only defeats have been to champions Erislandy Lara and Erickson Lubin. Inoue – no relation to three-weight world champion Naoya Inoue – has only lost to undefeated champion Jaime Munguia.

Spain’s undefeated Sergio Garcia (33-0, 14KO) is another option being considered.

Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) is already the No.1 mandatory challenger for WBO super-welterweight champion Brian Castano and does not have to fight before that bout is sanctioned in 2022, but such is his hunger and confidence, he wants to take on a top contender and risk his ranking by fighting again this year.

DAILY TELEGRAPH NRL PODCAST

Phil Rothfield, Michael Carayannis and Adam Mobbs deliver their verdicts each match in week one of the finals. Plus, they tear apart the failures from this season, which teams are in for an even worse 2022 and what we’re going to do without Thursday night footy.

NFL FEAST FOR FANS

Big news for NFL fans ahead of the start of the season on Friday with NFL RedZone returning to ESPN each Monday morning.

Courtesy of a new long-term broadcast rights agreement between ESPN and the NFL — which extends the partnership through to the 2032-33 season — viewers will have exclusive access to more than 120 matches aired live on ESPN, including playoff games and the Super Bowl, as well as extensive digital streaming coverage and the return of NFL RedZone.

NFL RedZone will be available to stream on the ESPN app.

O’MELEY GOING EXTRA MILE FOR GRACE

The original target for former rep star Mark O’Meley was walking 100 kilometres in September. Now he is aiming to smash out more than 350km as he pounds the treadmill and the acreage on his farm in Jilliby to raise money for six-year-old family friend, Grace Danfield, who is battling leukaemia.

The cause takes on extra meaning for O’Meley whose wife Sandy beat breast cancer in 2019 after a three-year battle.

Six-year-old Grace Danfield who Mark O'Meley is raising money for.

“The challenge is all about Grace,” O’Meley said. “It’s a way to raise a lot money, a lot of people can actively do something. I jump on the treadmill to do 8km and then by the time I finish the work around the farm I’ve hit 20km.

“I’m a bit stiff of a morning. I set the alarm and start moving and keep going. I don’t use the quad bikes for any of the farm work.

“I think this time next week I’ll be at 200km and I will bump it up. Looking at it realistically, I could get 350 to 400km.”

O’Meley is throwing his support behind Camp Quality’s Big Walks for Little Kids challenge.

To donate go to: fundraise.campquality.org.au/fundraisers/markomeley/big-walk-for-little-kids-2021

NO SANCTION FOR JWH

Roosters firebrand Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has escaped sanction for his sideline antics during the heated final-round clash against the Rabbitohs.

Waerea-Hargreaves was investigated after Channel 9 lodged a complaint alleging the Roosters enforcer approached a cameraman and bumped while he was trying to film Joey Manu leaving the field.

The NRL issued a general warning to the club regarding the behaviour of their players and officials on the sideline following the game. They were already whacked $40,000 – largely for coach Trent Robinson’s post-game comments.

FORMER AFL PLAYER IN MIX FOR SUPER RUGBY POST

Mick “The Kick” Byrne has emerged as a leading contender to coach the new Fiji Drua Super Rugby team next year.

The former Wallabies and All Blacks assistant coach is highly valued for his skills work.

Byrne played 167 Aussie Rules games in the VFL for Sydney Swans, Hawthorn and Melbourne.

He was later signed by the All Blacks as a skills coach and helped them win two World Cups, before eventually returning to Australia to join the Wallabies coaching staff from 2016 through to the 2019 World Cup.

Byrne has most recently worked with US Major League Rugby team Austin Gilgronis.

Fiji Drua and Moana Pacifika are the two new additions to the 2022 Super Rugby competition.

Renamed Super Rugby Pacific, the tournament will feature the existing 10 Australian and Kiwi franchises and the two new teams, and kick off in February 2022.

It’s understood that, depending on borders being open, the plan is to base Fiji in western Sydney and Moana in south Auckland.

Mick Byrne is in the mix to coach Fiji Drua in the Super Rugby Pacific competition next season. Picture: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

TURBO ON SONG

Tom Trbojevic is hurtling towards the Dally M medal, won player of the series in this year’s State of Origin, and is racking up unprecedented numbers in NRL stats. But even the Manly fullback wouldn’t have guessed that he’d be immortalised in song in 2021.

Australian musician Pete Cullen has penned a new track titled Rugba League that will be officially released on Friday, September 10.

In the punk song, league tragic Cullen names some of his all-time favourite players including Wally Lewis, Joey Johns, Mal Meninga … and Tommy Turbo.

ALL EYES ON

Adam O’Brien and Brad Arthur are best mates. For one, though, their season will come to a premature end on Sunday. Pressure will mount on Arthur if the Eels are bounced out.

FLASHBACK

Tennis star Lleyton Hewitt made front page news on this day 20 years ago. Hewitt sunned the tennis world with a nerveless display in his first Grand Slam final to win the US Open. Hewitt beat local Pete Sampras 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 6-1.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

DAVID PENNA — 134 top grade games (78 Parramatta, 56 South Sydney) between 1990-2000

A year before David Penna’s first debut at just 17 he was playing local soccer. Penna had decided to take a year off rugby league after being overlooked for Parramatta’s junior representative teams. It was only when he ran into an Eels official when Penna was watching some mates play junior league grand finals that he was offered another chance.

“Kevin Wise asked what I was doing and I told him I was playing soccer,” Penna said. “He asked if I’d be interested in trialling for Jersey Flegg and I found myself in the under-23s squad.”

Just a few months later Penna would be handed his first grade debut while still a teenager. He had played two matches that day before being asked to sit on the bench for first grade.

“I was a big Eels fan so I couldn’t believe I was getting the chance to play with Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling,” Penna said. “I wasn’t on for long but I remember having a couple of runs out of dummy half and the game was as fast as anything. I was up against ET (Andrew Ettingshausen) and Mark McGaw.”

Penna made his run-on debut the next season in a Friday night blockbuster against a star-studded Broncos team. He would play just 22 matches in four seasons at the Eels before joining the Rabbitohs.

David Penna played 78 games for the Parramatta Eels. Picture: Brad Newman

“I struggled with confidence and getting fit,” Penna said. “Back then it wasn’t full-time and I struggled to live up to the expectations. I didn’t handle the pressures well.

“I found myself lucky to get a lifeline at South Sydney.”

His stint at the Rabbitohs started well, helping the club win the pre-season Tooheys Challenge. Penna established himself as a first grader at the Rabbitohs playing as a utility back.

But he thought his first grade career was over when his deal expired at the end of 1997.

“I retired and gave it away,” Penna said. “I couldn’t find a club. I went to Jason Bell’s wedding who was back playing at Parramatta and I ended up sitting on the same table as Brian Smith. He asked me what I was doing and if I’d be interesting in a train and trial contract. I had a young family and it was difficult to do but I wanted to give it another go.

“I played my best footy during that time.”

Penna starred in his comeback and entrenched himself as Parramatta’s starting halfback until two broken necks ended his career prematurely at just 28.

He had a small break against the Sharks in round three but recovered only to do it again playing Cronulla in the second last round of the regular season.

“I was hit high in tackle and all I can remember is waking up in the hospital,” Penna said. “Further scans showed I’d fractured it again and damaged the next vertebrae.”

Penna transitioned into coaching and had success during a decade stint at Manly before joining South Sydney and Canterbury. He is the football manager at the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Blake Ferguson eyes switch to Japanese rugby, trainers mic’d up