John Ferguson (rugby league)

Last updated

John Ferguson
Personal information
Born (1954-07-15) 15 July 1954 (age 69)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in) [1]
Weight72 kg (11 st 5 lb) [1]
Position Wing
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1980–83 Newtown Jets 744000135
1984–85 Eastern Suburbs 31160064
1984–85 Wigan 25240096
1986–90 Canberra Raiders 945000200
Total22413000495
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1985–89 New South Wales 81004
1985 Australia 30000
Source: [2] [3]

John "Chicka" Ferguson [4] (born 15 July 1954 [1] ) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Newtown Jets, Eastern Suburbs Roosters and finally the Canberra Raiders, with whom he won the 1989 and 1990 NSWRL premierships. A prolific try-scorer, who topped the NSWRL's scoring list in 1988, Ferguson also played in England with Wigan, helping them to victory in the 1985 Challenge Cup Final. He has since been named in Australia's indigenous team of the century (1908–2008).

Contents

Playing career

Ferguson played at South Grafton Rebels as a junior and then as a first grader from 1972 to 1975. He then moved to play at Glen Innes from 1976 to 1980. He was then lured to play for Newtown Jets for the 1981 season.

Ferguson played in his first Grand Final with Newtown in 1981 before moving to Easts. He later moved to England, playing the 1984–85 season for Wigan. His stint in Lancashire saw him explode on the league scene, scoring 24 tries in 25 games and catching the eye of Australian selectors. John Ferguson played right wing, i.e. number 2, in Wigan's 18–26 defeat by St. Helens in the 1984 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1984–85 season at Central Park, Wigan, on Sunday 28 October 1984, and played right wing, i.e. number 2, and scored 2-tries in Wigan's 28–24 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1985 Challenge Cup Final during the 1984–85 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1985. Despite the Challenge Cup Final at the time conflicting with the start of the NSWRL season, Ferguson flew across the world to score two tries before 99,801 spectators in what has been described as the greatest Cup Final in history.

Ferguson would later return to the NSWRL, topping the League's try-scoring list in 1988 before going on to feature in two premiership-winning Canberra Raiders sides. In the famous '89 grand final, he scored a dramatic last-minute try to send the rugby league grand final into extra time. The Canberra Raiders eventually triumphed over the Balmain Tigers. [5] In the post season he traveled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge, playing on the wing in Canberra's loss to Widnes.

Ferguson, still one of the fastest players at the Raiders despite turning 36 during the season, won a second premiership with the Canberra Raiders in the 1990 NSWRL season.

Representative career

Ferguson was selected to represent New South Wales as a winger in three State of Origin series:

Ferguson is the oldest player to have participated in a New South Wales State of Origin team – 34 years and 348 days. [6]

Awards

In 2001, Ferguson was named on the wing in the Indigenous Team of the Century. Arthur Beetson, named as captain of the team, commented that "Chicka was as good a winger as anybody". [7]

Ferguson was again listed in a top Indigenous players team in 2004 when the Canberra Raiders selected a side representing the best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to have played for the club. [8]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 Gary Lester, ed. (1983). The Sun Book of Rugby League – 1983. Sydney, New South Wales: John Fairfax Marketing. p. 56. ISBN   0-909558-83-3.
  2. Rugby League Project
  3. Yesterday's Hero Archived 27 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Denise Angelo, Sue Butler (1998). Australian Phrasebook: Language Survival Kit. Lonely Planet. p. 120. ISBN   978-0-86442-576-8.
  5. "Sydney Football Stadium Magic Moments". sydneycricketground.com.au. Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  6. "State of Origin factboxes". AAP Sports News (Australia). 24 May 2005. Archived from the original (fee required) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  7. Walton, Darren (16 June 2001). "Beetson named captain of Indigenous Team of the Century". ABC News. Archived from the original (fee required) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  8. "Daley chosen to skipper indigenous side". AAP Sports News (Australia). 19 August 2004. Archived from the original (fee required) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2007.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mal Meninga</span> Australian rugby league footballer and coach

Malcolm Norman Meninga is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Australian national team and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the game's history. He enjoyed a long career in both Australia and England, playing mainly as a goal-kicking centre, but also on the wing. After retiring, Meninga has enjoyed success as a coach, and is currently the head coach of Australia.

John Ribot, also known by the nickname of "Reebs", is an Australian sports administrator, former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. Once a Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative, Ribot was the 1980 NSWRFL season's equal top try-scorer. Also a member of the 1982 "Invincibles" Kangaroo touring squad, he played club football in Brisbane for Fortitude Valley, Wests and Redcliffe, and in Sydney for Newtown, Wests and Manly-Warringah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSW Cup</span> Australian rugby league competition

The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition, and is now the premier open age competition in the state. The NSW Cup was the Reserve Grade/Presidents Cup/First Division from 1908 until 2002, and the NSWRL Premier League from 2003 to 2007, the NSW Cup from 2008 to 2015, the Intrust Super Premiership NSW from 2016 to 2018, the Canterbury Cup NSW from 2019 to 2020. The New South Wales Cup, along with the Queensland Cup, acts as a feeder competition to the National Rugby League premiership. The competition is the oldest continuous rugby league competition in the Australia.

Dale Shearer, also known by the nickname of "Rowdy", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative of Aboriginal heritage, he played club football in Queensland, New South Wales and England. His playing career included a NSWRL Premiership win with Manly-Warringah in 1987 and a Rugby League World Cup Final win in 1988. Ten years after his retirement, Shearer was still the all-time top try-scorer in State of Origin and he was named on the wing of the Indigenous Australian team of the century.

Michael David O'Connor is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer who represented Australia in both codes. He played for the Wallabies in 13 Tests from 1979 to 1982 and then the Kangaroos in 17 Tests from 1985 to 1990. O'Connor played club football in the NSWRL Premiership for the St. George Dragons from 1983 until 1986, and later the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1987 until his retirement at the end of 1992, becoming captain of Manly in 1990, as well as winning the 1987 Winfield Cup with the Sea Eagles.

Steve Walters, also known by the nickname of "Boxhead", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s who at the peak of his career was considered the best hooker in the game. An Australian Kangaroos and Queensland Maroons representative, he played in the Canberra Raiders' 1st, 2nd and 3rd NSWRL grand final victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Lyons</span> Australian international rugby league footballer

Cliff Lyons is an indigenous Australian former international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A Clive Churchill Medalllist and two-time Dally M Medallist, he made 309 first-grade appearances with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, winning grand finals with them in 1987 and 1996. Lyons also represented New South Wales and Australia, being part of the successful 1990 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France.

The 1994 NSWRL season was the eighty-seventh season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs, including 14 from within the borders of New South Wales plus two from Queensland, competed for the J J Giltinan Shield during the season, which culminated in a grand final match for the Winfield Cup trophy between the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Sam Backo is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the 1980s and 1990s.

The 1990 New South Wales Rugby League season was the eighty-third season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the premiership season, which culminated in a grand final between the previous season's premiers, the Canberra Raiders and the Penrith Panthers, who were making their grand final debut.

The 1989 NSWRL season was the 82nd season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs competed for the New South Wales Rugby League's J.J. Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup Premiership during the season, which culminated in a grand final between Balmain and Canberra. This season NSWRL teams also competed for the 1989 Panasonic Cup. This would be the last time a mid-season competition was played concurrent with the regular season. From 1990 it would become a pre-season competition.

The 1987 NSWRL season was the 80th season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Thirteen clubs competed for the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in the grand final between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Canberra Raiders who were the first club ever from outside Sydney to appear in a premiership decider. This season, NSWRL teams also competed for the 1987 National Panasonic Cup.

Graham Lyons is an Indigenous Australian, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played for South Sydney, Penrith and Balmain in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition. Lyons primarily played on the wing but spent the majority of the 1989 season in the centres. He is the cousin of fellow rugby league player Cliff Lyons.

Ken Nagas is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Canberra Raiders of the National Rugby League. Nagas primarily played on the wing.

Mal Cochrane is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Cochrane primarily played at hooker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edrick Lee</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Edrick Lee is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League.

Tyrone Phillips is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, centre and winger for the Newtown Jets in the Canterbury Cup NSW.

The 1987 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles season was the 41st in the club's history since their entry into the then New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership in 1947.

Allen Geelan is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played for Newtown, Eastern Suburbs, Canterbury-Bankstown and Western Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition.

Ron Sigsworth is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. He played for the Newtown Jets, South Sydney and the Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition and for Castleford in England.