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Canberra Raiders fullback Reece Robinson reaping the benefits of booze ban
Nick Walshaw
The Daily Telegraph
April 01, 2013 12:00AM
Canberra Raiders fullback Reece Robinson is reaping the benefits of a self-imposed alcohol ban. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
BLAKE Ferguson is the greatest advertisement for sobriety since you last got nude at your local.
Having sworn off beer, bourbon, even pineapple Breezers for six weeks, Ferguson is living, breathing proof that a place still exists in this grand old game for the tattooed Instagram lover who regularly shows more skin than page three of The Sun.
OK, so you may have to coax him off a rooftop every now and again.
But if this mercurial 23-year-old uses his current dry run to get his ... err ... can get things together, there is no doubting he has both the grit and game to go to the next level.
Not that the headlines will be going his way today.
No, with the Raiders last night slumping to their third loss in four rounds, and his old drinking buddy Josh Dugan having suffered something of a public meltdown on Twitter, bigger issues will dominate discussion today. But not necessarily for NSW coach Laurie Daley. Take as fact Daley loves Fergo. And having already guided him through the Indigenous All Stars, well, we're hearing he is more than keen to wrap him into a sky blue jersey too.
Which is why is it was important that, against the Knights, Ferguson was busier than his personal tattooist.
In the first half alone the Canberra centre ran for 73m, more than any other Raider.
He took quick taps, scrambled in defence - even copped what appeared to be, at least to everyone bar the referees, a crackin' Danny Buderus shoulder charge.
While Dugan was coming to terms with the fact his $2 million contract with the Brisbane Broncos was now kaput, Ferguson was ensuring his own stocks continue to rise.
Across in the other side of the hallway, meanwhile, it was Jarrod Mullen whose own star continued to rise.
Only a couple of years after he made both a NSW Origin and premiership player of Jamie Soward at St George Illawarra, Knights coach Wayne Bennett seems to be enjoying something of a do over in Newcastle. Try assists, repeat sets, 40/20s - Mullen was in plenty.
Mullen set up a try with a cross-kick to winger Aku Uate.
Indeed, the only downside to Mullen's game remains his tattoo count, which unlike Fergo, is considerably lower than most NRL stars his age.
Anyone else spot what monumental f**k up is in this story?
Just shows the quality of work at the DT.
