John Ferguson (rugby league)

For other people named John Ferguson, see John Ferguson (disambiguation).
John Ferguson
Personal information
Nickname Chicka
Born 15 July 1954 (1954-07-15) (age 57)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight 72 kg (11 st 5 lb)[1]
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1980–83 Newtown Jets 74 40 0 0 135
1984–85 Eastern Suburbs 31 16 0 0 64
1984–85 Wigan 25 24 0 0 96
1986–90 Canberra Raiders 94 50 0 0 200
Total 224 130 0 0 495
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1985–89 New South Wales 8 1 0 0 4
1985 Australia 3 0 0 0 0
Source: Rugby League Project and Yesterday's Hero

John "Chicka"[2] Ferguson (born 15 July 1954[1]), an Indigenous Australian, is a former professional rugby league footballer of 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 in his first Grand Final with Newtown in 1981 before moving to Easts. He later moved to England, for a stellar period he spent playing with Wigan. During this period, Ferguson came astonishingly close to eclipsing the number of games played, with the tries he had scored. He 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 1989 and 1990. In the famous '89 grand final, he scored a dramatic last-minute try to send the rugby league grand final into extra time for the first time in history. The Canberra Raiders eventually triumphed over the Balmain Tigers.[3]

Representative selection

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. [4]

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". [5]

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.[6]

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Gary Lester (editor) (1983). The Sun Book of Rugby League – 1983. Sydney, New South Wales: John Fairfax Marketing. p. 56. ISBN 0909558833. 
  2. ^ Denise Angelo, Sue Butler (1998). Australian Phrasebook: Language Survival Kit. Lonely Planet. pp. 120. ISBN 0864425767, 9780864425768. http://books.google.com/books?id=QyU0Xfc-mRUC&printsec=frontcover. 
  3. ^ "Sydney Football Stadium Magic Moments". sydneycricketground.com.au. Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust. http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/MM-SFS.html. Retrieved 2009-09-02. 
  4. ^ "State of Origin factboxes" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). 2005-05-24. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-109052860.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  5. ^ Walton, Darren (2001-06-16). "Beetson named captain of Indigenous Team of the Century" (fee required). ABC News. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-45246536.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  6. ^ "Daley chosen to skipper indigenous side" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). 2004-08-19. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-97933444.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 

External links