Blake Ferguson

[Tommy Smith]

Ferguson WAS a dickhead. But he's since shown sustained signs of really turning his life around and becoming a good young man.

And good on him for doing so. He's certainly deserving of a second chance.

[IRoosterManI]

Yet for years on this forum I have had to read you lot calling the likes of SKD and Mini dreadful names and putting them down relentlessly. No matter what they have done, how many international awards they have collected, premierships won etc, never disgraced the club, always make themselves available to us fans, 2 of our longest serving players are treated badly on here by some. Those of us who have doubts and a dislike of BF have very valid and factual reasons for doing so. DO not tell me to embrace the fact a man who assaulted another woman is coming to our club. You just crossed a line with that comment. I truly hope none of you or any woman close to you know what it's like to be assaulted or groped or leered at against their will.

100% correct...even though my stand on BF differs from yours you have made some pretty valid points.

[Guest]

100% correct...even though my stand on BF differs from yours you have made some pretty valid points.

Well said. That deserves to be quoted.

[Danish]

Ferguson WAS a dickhead. But he's since shown sustained signs of really turning his life around and becoming a good young man.

And good on him for doing so. He's certainly deserving of a second chance.

What has he done, honestly?

He never offered an apology to te girl he assaulted, nor took responsibility for it even through his entire appeals process (a process which involved faking a religious conversion AND playing the race card).

Best I can tell the only thing he has done to gain the respect of people around here is sign a contract for the roosters

[ism22]

What has he done, honestly?

He never offered an apology to te girl he assaulted, nor took responsibility for it even through his entire appeals process (a process which involved faking a religious conversion AND playing the race card).

Best I can tell the only thing he has done to gain the respect of people around here is sign a contract for the roosters

Seriously, can people get over this whole thing? Fergo was charged with indecent assault for groping a girl in a bar while drunk. TOUCHING a girl suggestively is technically an indecent assault... As the judge said:

"I'm not prepared to say he touched her on the vagina,"

His (successful) defence was that while such behaviour is wrong, stupid and borish... it's not really even on the low-end of indecent assaults that deserve convictions. Just punishment was a smack in the head from her boyfriend... he clearly said sorry and walked off. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH EFFING ISLAM!!!!

His defence was basically:
- C'mon... it was an assault by definition only. Should every man who has groped a woman in a suggestive manner while drunk go to prison and get a conviction recorded? Probably not...
- He lost his job for more than a year and lost his reputation thanks to the media. He has already been punished significantly...

The race card? IMO that just shows you're a sheltered white boy. It's true that his parents were both drug addicts... both he and his mother are victims of domestic violence. Both parents were in and out of prison growing up. This guy had no positive role models growing up, no family to go home to and it's an effing miracle that he didn't end up on drugs/in prison. I think a lot of people discount how tough he's been to bring himself out of that slope... VERY FEW can. I really don't think that throwing him in prison and taking away his League career for such a minor offence is justifiable or fair.

Yes what Fergo did was wrong but FFS... can we move on? He's been punished!!!! He's lost 1.5 years of pay (close to a million bucks I'd say). He's on a 2 year good behavior agreement and will be EFFED if he breaks it... no really!!! More than anybody I'm pretty darn sure he understands the serious nature of this bond. You don't have to like what he did... but IMO defining a man based on 1 misjudgment is pretty OCD. You've got mates who have been caught DUI or who have smoked weed or whatever I'm pretty sure (heck I'm pretty sure you've got mates who have been drunk, approached a girl, touched her and been told to eff off)... should they lose their careers, be shunned by all as scum of the earth and never given a second chance? IMO a DUI conviction is more serious and shows a SERIOUS lack of concern for the life/safety of all others on the road. I doubt you do so much hating on them... and you probably just laugh at your mate who got rejected/slapped.

We've got Fergo now. An Origin grade winger/centre in the RWB who I think nobody doubts will do us proud on the field. Yes, he has his flaws... but in his defence he has also destroyed many other demons that could have haunted him in life (which I think is impressive... if any of you have dysfunctional druggies who beat each other up and are constantly in/out of prison then feel free to chime in). He's one of us and IMO we need to get behind him to make sure he's a success.

For some, no punishment will ever be good enough... for whatever reason those people exist in society. I say these people have been wrapped in cotton wool and smell of hypocrisy. To say this is all about people from Islamic/Aboriginal backgrounds getting better treatment is absolute B*LLS41T and is stupid racist twaddle. If Fergo's parents happened to be white (drug addicts who were in and out of prison + his dad beat up his wife/kids regularly) the same information would be considered in sentencing. However they're not... they're black. Deal with it!!!

I make no excuses for his indecent assault and that woman was right to report it (I wish more would because I've gotta say... LOTS of sleazy guys do a LOT more than what Fergo did and are never charged with indecent assault... I'd love to see more having to face court/lose their jobs/be forced to behave for 2 years). Can we move on from it and lighten up a little about his future/challenges ahead? Good... THANK YOU!!!

He's a young bloke with some challenges. Like it or not, our management are going to try helping him through these (I hope he's able to put all of this behind him and grow into a better person... I met him the other day and believe it or not he's got some charm about him). I doubt ANY of you will be saying 'PUT HIM IN GAOL!!!' if he starts scoring match winning tries and giving it to all the Roosters haters out there. I'm glad that he feeds off hate because there's a lot of it out there towards us without so much of it coming from our own fans! He's family... you'd let your son have a second chance if he fell off the rails once (or twice)... that's how it feels to me now at least. I'm cheering for his redemption and am gonna love seeing him prove he can be a quality member of the Roosters' family both on and off the field.

[Johnny.]

I think this thread should be locked after what Issy said, that covers it perfectly.

[Guest]

Well said ism22. My thoughts exactly. Everyone needs to get off their high horse and get behind this bloke. He meeds all the support he can get.

[Guest]

The same thing? Are you serious mate? I thought you were past the blind hatred Rusty.

Both were accused of inappropriately touching a woman, The fact one woman took offence and pressed charges, the other used her 5 mins of fame to further her friend list and contacts on facebook and twitter and pressed no charges means nothing.

This is not a Pearce hate thing, i would say the thing about anyone.

Lets look at that Storm player Danny Wiiliams ? who KOD that tigers player a few years back, if that happened today would he be charged under the one punch law???

We cant chop and change the rules for some and not others.

What Fergo did was wrong, what an engaged man in Pearce done was wrong, they served out there punishments, time to move on

[Rooster_6]

Both were accused of inappropriately touching a woman, The fact one woman took offence and pressed charges, the other used her 5 mins of fame to further her friend list and contacts on facebook and twitter and pressed no charges means nothing.

This is not a Pearce hate thing, i would say the thing about anyone.

Lets look at that Storm player Danny Wiiliams ? who KOD that tigers player a few years back, if that happened today would he be charged under the one punch law???

We cant chop and change the rules for some and not others.

What Fergo did was wrong, what an engaged man in Pearce done was wrong, they served out there punishments, time to move on

Charges don't need to be pressed by the victim anymore for cases involving assault. It was one of the new laws brought in last year during or possibly even the year proceeding that at the beginning of the king hit controversy.

If there's evidence an assualt of any kind was committed a charge can be pressed on behalf of the police. Its why the police investigated the issue and officially cleared him despite the lady in question never wanting to press charges of any kind.

So no they are not the same thing in any way shape or form, I didn't think you could discredit yourself over Pearce anymore but this is by far your worst post and its bordering on defamation.

[novice chook]

I know most of you are falling over yourselves to support Ferguson but discrediting Pearce (or any other player for that matter) to do it is not the way to go about it.

The situations were very different. And so were their reactions after it. Pearce manned up, accepted his mistake, publicly apologised to his family, his club and immediately set about making improvements to his lifestyle. Meanwhile Ferguson never apologised, made excuses, never took responsibility and played every sympathy card he and his legal team could think of to try and avoid a deserved conviction.

I agree with Danish, Ferguson is a dickhead and being contracted to the Roosters will not change that.

But the fact is that the Chooks have signed dickheads before, and will continue to do so in future. And those blokes will always be dickheads, no matter who they play for.

Some of us take the persona and integrity of the players wearing our colours more seriously than others, but in the end all of us accept that, like it or not, Ferguson will wear our colours for at least a year.

So now we can only hope that his time at the Roosters is a credit to both himself and the club. In the end, only he can determine that.

NC

[Chook Norris]

Ferguson WAS a dickhead. But he's since shown sustained signs of really turning his life around and becoming a good young man.

Just like Carney, right? Look what ended up happening there. They all show sustained SIGNS of turning their lives around. But you can't polish a turd. That's what Ferguson is. Our turd. So yes, we'll have to learn to accept it for a year and hope he doesn't f**k up, once again.

[Guest]

Charges don't need to be pressed by the victim anymore for cases involving assault. It was one of the new laws brought in last year during or possibly even the year proceeding that at the beginning of the king hit controversy.

If there's evidence an assualt of any kind was committed a charge can be pressed on behalf of the police. Its why the police investigated the issue and officially cleared him despite the lady in question never wanting to press charges of any kind.

So no they are not the same thing in any way shape or form, I didn't think you could discredit yourself over Pearce anymore but this is by far your worst post and its bordering on defamation.

What a crock of shit.

Look at the 2 victims, one a skank that loved the attention, the other a young lady that took offence and went through the appropriate channels, because one had an ounce of self respect the other lady not dos not mean the event did not take place.

Are you saying Inglis, Bird and many others did not commit a crime because there partners did not press charges?

IMO What Ferguson and Teflon did were childish errors, childish errors which are done in every nightclub in Sydney every night of the week, the fact they are high profile footballers makes the situation worse.

Their infringement is not even close to Robert Luis, BIrd, Inglis, Packer, Wicks, the list goes on and on.

Defamation please !!!!

your post and dribble is closer to defacation

[Tommy Smith]

Just to clarify, Pearce did NOTHING wrong. Massive overreaction from the media and police.

Anyone comparing him to Fergo is an idiot.

[Bigchook]

Just to clarify, Pearce did NOTHING wrong. Massive overreaction from the media and police.

Anyone comparing him to Fergo is an idiot.

For the love of God close this effing thread.

[Johnny Tobin]

Seriously, can people get over this whole thing? Fergo was charged with indecent assault for groping a girl in a bar while drunk. TOUCHING a girl suggestively is technically an indecent assault... As the judge said:

"I'm not prepared to say he touched her on the vagina,"

His (successful) defence was that while such behaviour is wrong, stupid and borish... it's not really even on the low-end of indecent assaults that deserve convictions. Just punishment was a smack in the head from her boyfriend... he clearly said sorry and walked off. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH EFFING ISLAM!!!!

His defence was basically:
- C'mon... it was an assault by definition only. Should every man who has groped a woman in a suggestive manner while drunk go to prison and get a conviction recorded? Probably not...
- He lost his job for more than a year and lost his reputation thanks to the media. He has already been punished significantly...

The race card? IMO that just shows you're a sheltered white boy. It's true that his parents were both drug addicts... both he and his mother are victims of domestic violence. Both parents were in and out of prison growing up. This guy had no positive role models growing up, no family to go home to and it's an effing miracle that he didn't end up on drugs/in prison. I think a lot of people discount how tough he's been to bring himself out of that slope... VERY FEW can. I really don't think that throwing him in prison and taking away his League career for such a minor offence is justifiable or fair.

Yes what Fergo did was wrong but FFS... can we move on? He's been punished!!!! He's lost 1.5 years of pay (close to a million bucks I'd say). He's on a 2 year good behavior agreement and will be EFFED if he breaks it... no really!!! More than anybody I'm pretty darn sure he understands the serious nature of this bond. You don't have to like what he did... but IMO defining a man based on 1 misjudgment is pretty OCD. You've got mates who have been caught DUI or who have smoked weed or whatever I'm pretty sure (heck I'm pretty sure you've got mates who have been drunk, approached a girl, touched her and been told to eff off)... should they lose their careers, be shunned by all as scum of the earth and never given a second chance? IMO a DUI conviction is more serious and shows a SERIOUS lack of concern for the life/safety of all others on the road. I doubt you do so much hating on them... and you probably just laugh at your mate who got rejected/slapped.

We've got Fergo now. An Origin grade winger/centre in the RWB who I think nobody doubts will do us proud on the field. Yes, he has his flaws... but in his defence he has also destroyed many other demons that could have haunted him in life (which I think is impressive... if any of you have dysfunctional druggies who beat each other up and are constantly in/out of prison then feel free to chime in). He's one of us and IMO we need to get behind him to make sure he's a success.

For some, no punishment will ever be good enough... for whatever reason those people exist in society. I say these people have been wrapped in cotton wool and smell of hypocrisy. To say this is all about people from Islamic/Aboriginal backgrounds getting better treatment is absolute B*LLS41T and is stupid racist twaddle. If Fergo's parents happened to be white (drug addicts who were in and out of prison + his dad beat up his wife/kids regularly) the same information would be considered in sentencing. However they're not... they're black. Deal with it!!!

I make no excuses for his indecent assault and that woman was right to report it (I wish more would because I've gotta say... LOTS of sleazy guys do a LOT more than what Fergo did and are never charged with indecent assault... I'd love to see more having to face court/lose their jobs/be forced to behave for 2 years). Can we move on from it and lighten up a little about his future/challenges ahead? Good... THANK YOU!!!

He's a young bloke with some challenges. Like it or not, our management are going to try helping him through these (I hope he's able to put all of this behind him and grow into a better person... I met him the other day and believe it or not he's got some charm about him). I doubt ANY of you will be saying 'PUT HIM IN GAOL!!!' if he starts scoring match winning tries and giving it to all the Roosters haters out there. I'm glad that he feeds off hate because there's a lot of it out there towards us without so much of it coming from our own fans! He's family... you'd let your son have a second chance if he fell off the rails once (or twice)... that's how it feels to me now at least. I'm cheering for his redemption and am gonna love seeing him prove he can be a quality member of the Roosters' family both on and off the field.

Here here.

Though I think the person you responded to is a sheltered white girl.