Blake Ferguson to Leigh

[Scubby]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/blake-ferguson-leigh-boss-adrian-lam-confirms-interest-in-former-nrl-star/

Blake Ferguson is out of a Japanese slammer and looking for a new challenge.

Few quid (and all the decking he will ever need). Not to be sniffed at!

[Lowdesert]

I read this earlier and thought this could be a game changer if Leigh can afford him.  
 

Will he be doing a home grown player out of a job?

…..,get me coat.

 

[GUBRATS]

Interesting player

[Cw25]

Would be amazing for Leigh.

[Whippet13]

Presume he will be playing wing as he has plenty of experience near the white line.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

How many overseas players do Leigh have? 

[Saint Toppy]

Will he get a visa given his recent conviction & jail time ?

[Spidey]

Is this going to end in tears again

[leytherz]

4 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

How many overseas players do Leigh have? 

we have lots of them.why do you ask

[The Future is League]

15 hours ago, Scubby said:

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/blake-ferguson-leigh-boss-adrian-lam-confirms-interest-in-former-nrl-star/

Blake Ferguson is out of a Japanese slammer and looking for a new challenge.

Few quid (and all the decking he will ever need). Not to be sniffed at!

A has been from the NRL.

I really hope Leigh don't sign him and spend the wages he would have got on junior development

[Just Browny]

15 hours ago, Scubby said:

 

Few quid (and all the decking he will ever need). Not to be sniffed at!

Does he mind being called a d***head in public if Leigh lose a few games? That's always the gamble when signing on with Degsy.

[Scubby]

Just now, Just Browny said:

Does he mind being called a d***head in public if Leigh lose a few games? That's always the gamble when signing on with Degsy.

Feels a bit like Derek does need his 'look who I might sign' fix rather than trying to build a sustainable long term squad. Probably a sign of the yo yo times.

[Jonty58]

He will tear it up, new lease of life from being Paramattas fringe player towards the end of his career there. 

[sweaty craiq]

53 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Feels a bit like Derek does need his 'look who I might sign' fix rather than trying to build a sustainable long term squad. Probably a sign of the yo yo times.

You do realise it’s nigh impossible to build a SL team in the Championship with £150k funding don’t you?

[binosh]

1 hour ago, The Future is League said:

A has been from the NRL.

I really hope Leigh don't sign him and spend the wages he would have got on junior development

I would love Leigh to have an official scholarship programme & academy but the RFL will not grant Leigh one. What would you do?

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, sweaty craiq said:

You do realise it’s nigh impossible to build a SL team in the Championship with £150k funding don’t you?

It think Leigh have £550k funding IIRC - you might want to correct. Derek's impatience to build a settled growing squad with young and trusted players means the club is constantly in a #### or bust scenario. Ferguson is another gamble on a troubled player - they should stay well clear.

Had Leigh actually spent the last 12-18 months trying to build a young sustainable squad with a proven coach they would be reaping the benefits now and in the future. That takes patience and culture.

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

24 minutes ago, Scubby said:

 

Had Leigh actually spent the last 12-18 months trying to build a young sustainable squad with a proven coach they would be reaping the benefits now and in the future. That takes patience and culture.

 

In fairness that's very hard to do in the Championship. Any young player with even a sniff of a chance of playing SL in the near future is advised only to sign a one-year contract. If they start playing well though February, March and April, SL clubs can start courting them for next year, whilst the young Championship player and his agent won't know until October whether or not they will be promoted.

Even if Fev had been promoted last season, they would have had to start life in SL without their two most up-and-coming forwards in James Harrison and Frankie Halton, because warrington and Hull KR respectively were able to assure them of a SL contract last May.

[Scubby]

18 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

In fairness that's very hard to do in the Championship. Any young player with even a sniff of a chance of playing SL in the near future is advised only to sign a one-year contract. If they start playing well though February, March and April, SL clubs can start courting them for next year, whilst the young Championship player and his agent won't know until October whether or not they will be promoted.

Even if Fev had been promoted last season, they would have had to start life in SL without their two most up-and-coming forwards in James Harrison and Frankie Halton, because warrington and Hull KR respectively were able to assure them of a SL contract last May.

But Toulouse did exactly that and were then told by nearly everyone they'd get whacked every week in SL.

Rather than go after Leilua or Ferguson they brought in players like Ashalt-Bott, Robson and Hankinson who they could fit into their culture. With a good coach and a settled squad their results are improving. They may not survive but could well keep the majority of the squad together for a push back to SL.

Leigh have got half their squad on contracts with perforated pages to make them easier to tear up in October plus DRs. If they don't get up this year we will probably get the crazy events that happened a few years ago all over again.

Culture and stability always gives you a chance - because if you get it right (as Catalans finally did) then the sky is the limit as your pathways keep delivering.

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 minutes ago, Scubby said:

But Toulouse did exactly that and were then told by nearly everyone they'd get whacked every week in SL.

Rather than go after Leilua or Ferguson they brought in players like Ashalt-Bott, Robson and Hankinson who they could fit into their culture. With a good coach and a settled squad their results are improving. They may not survive but could well keep the majority of the squad together for a push back to SL.

Leigh have got half their squad on contracts with perforated pages to make them easier to tear up in October. If they don't get up this year we will probably get the crazy events that happened a few years ago all over again.

Culture and stability always gives you a chance - because if you get it right (as Catalans finally did) then the sky is the limit as your pathways keep delivering.

I thought Toulouse would do okay (and said so on this forum) but I also thought their recruitment was very underwhelming. Howevere they were a really good team in the Championship last season - probably the best I've seen in the division - and I think their coach is very impressive, so I'm not surprised their results have started to improve even though they lost just about their three biggest names. I think the environment helped them with retention too as their players were either French, or presumably relished the area they were living in, making them easier to retain.

I don't know what contracts Beaumont has got the Leigh players on this year - he said in one interview he had only given one-year contracts but was then talking in another interview about options for a second year so the devil will be in the detail.

I think the comment about stability in coaching and environment is fair enough though.

[yanto]

Playing in Group 6 of the Country Rugby League.

Southern Highlands McArthur which covers the area South West of Sydney

"

Ex-NRL star Blake Ferguson will make his rugby league return with the same country club that has signed Raiders discard Curtis Scott.

Eight members of the Thirlmere Roosters Old Boys network handed back their memberships in protest at the club’s decision to sign Scott, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Scott is due to face court in August, where his lawyer has said he will plead not guilty to domestic violence charges from 2018."

[The Phantom Horseman]

21 minutes ago, Scubby said:

But Toulouse did exactly that and were then told by nearly everyone they'd get whacked every week in SL.

Rather than go after Leilua or Ferguson they brought in players like Ashalt-Bott, Robson and Hankinson who they could fit into their culture. With a good coach and a settled squad their results are improving. They may not survive but could well keep the majority of the squad together for a push back to SL.

 

By the way, I'm not sure I'd be citing Robson as an example of their successful recruitment policy, he played 2 games for Toulouse and he's back in the Warrington squad for their game this weekend!

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, yanto said:

Playing in Group 6 of the Country Rugby League.

Southern Highlands McArthur which covers the area South West of Sydney

"

Ex-NRL star Blake Ferguson will make his rugby league return with the same country club that has signed Raiders discard Curtis Scott.

Eight members of the Thirlmere Roosters Old Boys network handed back their memberships in protest at the club’s decision to sign Scott, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Scott is due to face court in August, where his lawyer has said he will plead not guilty to domestic violence charges from 2018."

I'm surprised DB overlooked Curtis Scott. 

[sweaty craiq]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

It think Leigh have £550k funding IIRC - you might want to correct. Derek's impatience to build a settled growing squad with young and trusted players means the club is constantly in a #### or bust scenario. Ferguson is another gamble on a troubled player - they should stay well clear.

Had Leigh actually spent the last 12-18 months trying to build a young sustainable squad with a proven coach they would be reaping the benefits now and in the future. That takes patience and culture.

 

So you do not have an answer

[The Phantom Horseman]

28 minutes ago, Scubby said:

But Toulouse did exactly that and were then told by nearly everyone they'd get whacked every week in SL.

 

I also don't actually agree with your comments about Toulouse building a "young" squad. Their dominance last season in the Championship was built around Remy Casty, Mitch Garbutt and Harrison Hansen.

[Simon Hall]

2 hours ago, binosh said:

I would love Leigh to have an official scholarship programme & academy but the RFL will not grant Leigh one. What would you do?

Maybe do what York are doing. 4 young York lads have come through the Excel Programme into the first team this year and we haven't got a scholarship or an academy.

Or you could just waste loads of money on overseas quota players who won't be allowed to play for you next year if you get promotion, so you'll come straight back down again as you've had to build a new quad full of players everyone else didn't want. Again.