PMP club secure the services of Ferguson as NRL veteran returns 'back home'

In what could be the biggest move this season, Ferguson has returned to the Wellington Cowboys for the 2024 season just in time for round one.

Having left the club at the end of last season, the former NRL star signed with the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs in the Newcastle Rugby League competition before the deal was 'terminated by mutual agreement'.

Now, Ferguson is back and will lineup for the Cowboys on April 28 in their season-opener against Nyngan at Larkin Oval.

"It's a buzz, it's an uplifting inspiration for the club internally and externally," Cowboys president Graham Blackhall said.

"Not just for the players but for everyone. It's uplifting to have someone of his characteristics and inspiration and just his attitude to be back home."

Rumours surrounding Ferguson's exit from the Bulldogs have made their way around rugby league circles but Blackhall said Wellington isn't reading into that.

"We are 100 per cent supporting him as we would the 25th player in our under 18s," he said.

"It would be the same for whatever situation we are in."

On Wednesday, ACM reported Ferguson had left the Bulldogs and immediately the Cowboys became a top contender to secure his services once again.

Having been cleared and registered with Wellington by Friday evening, Blackhall said people around the club have stayed in contact with Ferguson since his departure in 2023.

"His family and everything are out this way, his partner has family back this way as well," he said.

"It's not like he cut strings and let go of the club, he always had that sense of belonging back home here.

"He gave me a bit of a call out of the blue and said he wanted to have a yarn then we went from there."

As mentioned earlier, Ferguson will take the field against Nyngan on Sunday, starting off the bench.

While there is no denying his impact will make Wellington a side capable of finishing in the top four, there are also plans to utilise the electric outside back off the field.

"We sat down and had a talk about his career but we spoke about expanding his leadership into a role of mentoring the young blokes," Blackhall said.

"He wants to do extra coaching with the outside backs around their positioning and he was so grateful to be a part of it. He's never really done anything like that before and he has the attitude to interact with everyone.

"We are talking about doing this with other agencies (outside of footy) to build opportunities and we want to create more opportunities not just on the field but off it as well."

His return home whipped the Cowboys club and community into a frenzy and Ferguson went on to score 13 tries in maroon and white.

Ferguson notched up 249 NRL games with four clubs between 2009 and 2021, including a premiership for the Sydney Roosters in 2018.

Also a six-time Indigenous All Star, he made nine Origin and seven Test appearances.

Ferguson finished his professional career in 2022 after helping Leigh gain promotion to the English Super League.

He has endured several off-field controversies - sacked by the Raiders, dropped from Origin and jailed in Japan.