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Ferguson Bins The Booze. Good to see some encouraging actions from him and hopefully it translates into good performances on the field which he is certainly capable of. Below is an article from 'The Australian'
Blake Ferguson is making a sacrifice for himself and his team.
“I am not drinking (alcohol) this whole year,” the Sydney Roosters winger told The Australian.
“I have been doing it since December last year. I wanted to sacrifice something. That’s something I do enjoy — I enjoy having a beer. You enjoy having a beer, heaps of people enjoy having a beer.
“I am willing to sacrifice a bit of enjoyment to make my team better and make myself better.”
Ferguson realises there will be those watching and waiting for him to fail. He knows there will be plenty of people, many cognisant of his chequered past, who question his ability to maintain sobriety for an entire year.
“I don’t really care,” he said.
“It’s something I believe in. I made a promise to myself. It doesn’t worry me. It’s not about what other people think — it’s about what I think of myself.
“If I am going to disappoint myself, that’s the worst thing you can do. It is about filling my own satisfaction and that’s what I am doing to satisfy myself this year.”
Ferguson’s commitment to stay off the booze comes with his career at the crossroads. The 27-year-old lost his Australian jersey at the end of last year and another incident on the drink, when he and teammate Josh Dugan made the errant decision to spend an afternoon at a pub only days before the final State of Origin game, meant the Roosters only handed him a one-year extension.
It means he is effectively playing for his future at club, state and national level. The opening few months of the season — the Roosters play the Wests Tigers in the first round on March 10 — will be crucial.
“I do want to get a bit of security,” he said.
“I have two kids so for me it is about building a future for them. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully by the end of April or something, there will be a bit of talk there.
“Until then, I am just happy to play footy. It’s very motivating. I have always been motivated to perform well whether it is contract time or not.
“I don’t mind it — I actually like it. But I would like to have the security as well for my children. That’s what it is all about — that’s why you play footy.
“I am looking forward to this year. The first two months I am really excited about. There are a few things there with NSW — I obviously want to get picked again for that. I’m going to enjoy the start of the year.”
Ferguson has been a mainstay of the NSW side and he spoke with freshly-minted Blues coach Brad Fittler on a handful of occasions when he first joined the Roosters.
Since then, their chats have been infrequent. Ferguson is hoping he starts with a clean slate.
“It’s not about sucking up to the coach,” he said.
“I know I want to play for NSW. I know how high I hold that jersey. For me, I just want to work hard, train hard, play footy. Everything should come after that.”
The same goes for regaining his Australian jersey.
“I don’t think I ever disappointed in the green and gold,” he said. “For me, I took it on the chin. I watched most of every game. For me, I took it hard in a way that I wanted to better myself. I went away and worked on myself mentally and physically.
“Hopefully I can come back this year playing some consistent footy. That’s what let me down.”
Blake Ferguson is making a sacrifice for himself and his team.
“I am not drinking (alcohol) this whole year,” the Sydney Roosters winger told The Australian.
“I have been doing it since December last year. I wanted to sacrifice something. That’s something I do enjoy — I enjoy having a beer. You enjoy having a beer, heaps of people enjoy having a beer.
“I am willing to sacrifice a bit of enjoyment to make my team better and make myself better.”
Ferguson realises there will be those watching and waiting for him to fail. He knows there will be plenty of people, many cognisant of his chequered past, who question his ability to maintain sobriety for an entire year.
“I don’t really care,” he said.
“It’s something I believe in. I made a promise to myself. It doesn’t worry me. It’s not about what other people think — it’s about what I think of myself.
“If I am going to disappoint myself, that’s the worst thing you can do. It is about filling my own satisfaction and that’s what I am doing to satisfy myself this year.”
Ferguson’s commitment to stay off the booze comes with his career at the crossroads. The 27-year-old lost his Australian jersey at the end of last year and another incident on the drink, when he and teammate Josh Dugan made the errant decision to spend an afternoon at a pub only days before the final State of Origin game, meant the Roosters only handed him a one-year extension.
It means he is effectively playing for his future at club, state and national level. The opening few months of the season — the Roosters play the Wests Tigers in the first round on March 10 — will be crucial.
“I do want to get a bit of security,” he said.
“I have two kids so for me it is about building a future for them. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully by the end of April or something, there will be a bit of talk there.
“Until then, I am just happy to play footy. It’s very motivating. I have always been motivated to perform well whether it is contract time or not.
“I don’t mind it — I actually like it. But I would like to have the security as well for my children. That’s what it is all about — that’s why you play footy.
“I am looking forward to this year. The first two months I am really excited about. There are a few things there with NSW — I obviously want to get picked again for that. I’m going to enjoy the start of the year.”
Ferguson has been a mainstay of the NSW side and he spoke with freshly-minted Blues coach Brad Fittler on a handful of occasions when he first joined the Roosters.
Since then, their chats have been infrequent. Ferguson is hoping he starts with a clean slate.
“It’s not about sucking up to the coach,” he said.
“I know I want to play for NSW. I know how high I hold that jersey. For me, I just want to work hard, train hard, play footy. Everything should come after that.”
The same goes for regaining his Australian jersey.
“I don’t think I ever disappointed in the green and gold,” he said. “For me, I took it on the chin. I watched most of every game. For me, I took it hard in a way that I wanted to better myself. I went away and worked on myself mentally and physically.
“Hopefully I can come back this year playing some consistent footy. That’s what let me down.”
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