Need any more proof rugby league is a brutal sport? Eels star Blake Ferguson snaps his nose and fractures his ribs but refuses to come off as blood pours down his face
- NRL star Blake Ferguson injured in Parramatta’s brutal clash against Canberra
- X-rays to determine extent of Origin star’s broken nose and fractured ribs
- Forced from the field but not before his broken nose was rubbed by opponents
- Ferguson later took to Instagram to post a graphic photo of his broken nose
NRL star Blake Ferguson may spend some time on the sidelines after he suffered a suspected broken nose and fractured ribs in a bruising encounter.
The Parramatta Eels winger was in a world of pain after his nose was busted in a head clash with an opponent during a tackle in his side’s loss against the Canberra Raiders in the nation’s capital on Sunday night.
A battered and bruised Ferguson continued to play on but required medical attention from the trainers on several occasions for his strapped and bloodied nose.
Raiders playmaker Jack Wighton then made matters worse by singling out the injured star to give his nose some special treatment.
‘No caption needed,’Blake Ferguson (pictured) posted on Instagram after the brutal clash
He was filmed rubbing Ferguson’s broken nose during a tackle just before the play the ball, forcing his opponent to lose the ball.
Wighton’s cunning tactics didn’t go unnoticed by match commentators.
‘They’re targeting him,’ former NRL player Braith Anasta said on Fox Sports.
‘Watch Wighton rubbing his nose. The pain is severe enough when you have a broken nose and to have players hitting it in the tackle…I mean, it’s gamesmanship.
‘It’s put him off his game.’
Blake Ferguson, pictured with his partner has had a horror run on injuries recently
Suspected broken ribs eventually forced Ferguson from the field early in the second half, despite undergoing a pain-killing injection at half-time.
Ferguson took to Instagram after the game to post a graphic photo of his broken nose.
‘No caption needed,’ he posted.
X-rays on Monday will confirm the extent of Ferguson’s injuries and whether he’ll miss the Eels’ Easter Monday blockbuster against the Wests Tigers at Parramatta’s new Bankwest Stadium.
An extended period on the sidelines could put his NSW Origin prospects in jeopardy.
‘He got a whack in the ribs, it was early in the game and he tried to play on for us and he got a needle, but he couldn’t do his job properly, so we had to make a change,’ Eels coach Brad Arthur said in the post-match press conference.
Blake Ferguson’s broken nose got special treatment from Raider’s playmaker Jack Wighton
X-rays will determine the extent of Blake Ferguson’s broken nose and suspected broken ribs
‘He’ll need to get x-rays tomorrow but he’s pretty sore.
‘His nose doesn’t look too good, but I am sure they’ll try and straighten it and he’ll be right next week.
‘We’ll wait and see if he’s in or out next week and then we’ll worry about.’
Ferguson had been in stellar form for his new club in the early rounds until Eels’ winning streak came to an end on Sunday night with a 19-0 loss.
He was along a host of NRL stars injured during round five action, including Andrew Fifita (hamstring) and Queensland Origin star Aidan Guerra (suspected broken leg).
Ferguson is no stranger to NRL’s casualty list, having played on with a broken leg during the 2018 grand final win for his former club Sydney Roosters.
Blake Ferguson put his battered and bruised body on the line following the head clash