Blake Ferguson ‘wants to make a shock return to the NRL’ after nightclub district cocaine bust saw him thrown into Japanese jail for 29 days
- Former Eels winger reportedly wants to return to the NRL after stint in jail
- Was arrested after brawl at restaurant in Tokyo and drugs were found
- Former Origin winger spent a month in jail on cocaine and assault charges
Former Parramatta and State of Origin winger Blake Ferguson reportedly wants to return to the NRL after his stint with a rugby union side in Japan ended with him spending almost a month in jail on cocaine and assault charges.
The 32-year-old’s manager, Sam Ayoub, will try to drum up interest with NRL clubs next week, the Daily Telegraph reported.
It would be a stunning return for Ferguson, whose $1.5million contract with the NEC Green Rockets rugby union side was scrapped before he played a game after Tokyo police arrested him for assaulting a man in the city’s Roppongi nightclub district on December 30 last year.
If Ferguson (pictured) gets another start in the NRL it would be a stunning turnaround after his $1.5million Japanese rugby union contract was torn up before he played a single game
Ferguson was one of the game’s best finishers in a career that saw him play nine games for NSW and seven matches for the Kangaroos
Officers searched his belongings and allegedly found cocaine. Ferguson said he would plead guilty to the charges at a hearing on March 3.
A judge freed him after he spent 29 days behind bars. Japan has some of the world’s harshest drug laws and cocaine possession can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison.
The Eels standout said he had too much to drink on the night in question and described his jail stint as ‘lonely and boring’ as he was unable to hear any word from Australia until he was finally released.
Ferguson was stranded thousands of miles away from a baby daughter he shares with ex-fiancée Dominique Moraitis and two young sons he has with ex-partner Bianca Menniti.
Ferguson (pictured with ex-fiancee Dominique Moraitiss) was arrested on December 30 after allegedly being caught in possession of cocaine after bashing a man in a Tokyo restaurant
Japan has some of the world’s harshest drug laws and Ferguson could have faced up to five years in prison for cocaine possession
The one-time state-of-Origin winger explained he was able to finally contact his wife Dominique Moratis, who was predictably fuming over the situation.
‘My partner was obviously angry and upset about what I did. I’ll have to earn back her trust. I’ve let down a lot of people, not just my family,’ he said.
The veteran winger and former NSW Blues Origin star won a NRL premiership with the Sydney Roosters in 2018.
He joined the Eels the following season, where he scored 24 tries in 57 games and helped Parramatta to the finals three years in a row.
However, the club announced it did not intend to re-sign him in 2022, prompting the code switch to rugby union.
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