Roosters to ease Blake Ferguson back to NRL slowly

[fletch]

THE Sydney Roosters are planning to ease star signing Blake Ferguson back to rugby league through the lower grades.

After being out of the game for more than a year due to off-field problems, it appeared the Nines would be the perfect place for Ferguson to regain his fitness and confidence.

“We discussed it (playing him) but will probably bring Blake back slowly through the lower grades in the trials,” Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said.

“You have to remember he has been out of the game for some 18 months and that builds up a lot of things … energy, anxiety and the like.

“It would be a big ask for him to come back in a game as fast as the Nines and we want him to play a more ‘normal’ game to get his timing and confidence back.”

The Roosters are delighted with Ferguson’s progress on and off the field since being cleared by the NRL late last year to resume his career.

“He has been a model citizen and is working hard to get back to where he was,” Canavan said.

[roostersrule2]

Damn, I was hoping he'd go in the 9's. Good way to get him back to footy IMO.

It also looks really stupid on our behalf saying we don't want Blake in because hes been out of the game for 18 months, yet we let Freddy in who had been out of the game for 10 years.

[Cockadoodledoo]

Damn, I was hoping he'd go in the 9's. Good way to get him back to footy IMO.

It also looks really stupid on our behalf saying we don't want Blake in because hes been out of the game for 18 months, yet we let Freddy in who had been out of the game for 10 years.

Not really a valid comparison. The club doesn't want to risk an unnecessary injury to Blake that could delay his return to first grade. This didn't apply to Freddy as it was just a one off appearance.

[Darkone]

Damn, I was hoping he'd go in the 9's. Good way to get him back to footy IMO.

It also looks really stupid on our behalf saying we don't want Blake in because hes been out of the game for 18 months, yet we let Freddy in who had been out of the game for 10 years.

I don't think he's fully recovered from that injury.....yet

We can keep an eye on Nene MacDonald & Stapleton during the 9's.

[fletch]

he was never going to play at the 9's, there would be nothing worse for a player coming back from 18 months out of the game and a serious ankle injury, to have to play a match cool down and then warm up a couple of hours later is just asking for soft tissue injuries, he has already done his hamstring once this offseason.

[John Corey]

he was never going to play at the 9's, there would be nothing worse for a player coming back from 18 months out of the game and a serious ankle injury, to have to play a match cool down and then warm up a couple of hours later is just asking for soft tissue injuries, he has already done his hamstring once this offseason.

Spot on. Bigger fish to fry.

[stephenj]

any indications of the nines team so far?

[Bigchook]

As much as I'm looking forward to watching the 9s I could not care less if we come last. I don't want any of our stars going flat out in the heat after an off season. We saw last yr the toll a long season takes on the body. Nrl is only getting more punishing on the body and the season is now a war of attrition.

[Vasco]

There was no chance he would be exposed in the 9s.

Better for him to play his first game in front of 147 people in the sticks somewhere in mid February.

[Guest]

As much as I'm looking forward to watching the 9s I could not care less if we come last. I don't want any of our stars going flat out in the heat after an off season. We saw last yr the toll a long season takes on the body. Nrl is only getting more punishing on the body and the season is now a war of attrition.

And we gotta start round 1 in NQ.
Luck of the draw, I guess.

[Pass the Ball]

Fergo looks pretty funny with his broken nose from training the other day..

[fletch]

Fergo looks pretty funny with his broken nose from training the other day..

http://instagram.com/p/xvyaIlgcFo/?modal=true

[roostersrule2]

Jared facing 8-12 week training suspension.

[Danish]

http://instagram.com/p/xvyaIlgcFo/?modal=true

YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

*Cheers*

[The Axe]

Jared facing 8-12 week training suspension.

Brilliant RR2.
Any carry over points?