Ferguson named in U20 Kiwis
FORMER John McGlashan College First XV captain Rory Ferguson has been named in a Junior Kiwis squad.
The wider squad, named yesterday, will be reduced in a few weeks as preparations begin for a test against the Junior Kangaroos in Auckland on October 13.
Ferguson (20) signed for the Brisbane Broncos in his last year at school, and is coming to the end of his second year with the NRL club.
With the demise of the national under20 competition this year, he is still training with the Broncos, and has been playing for the South Logan Magpies, a Brisbane club side, in both the under20 grade and senior grade.
When the NRL disbanded the reserve grade and under20 grade last year, the teams split into the New South Wales and Queensland Cup competitions.
He has been the captain of the under20 Magpies team, and said he had enjoyed that role a lot.
He was playing prop and loose forward for both teams, although he preferred to play in the No 13 jersey.
His Magpies side had lost its finals game in Cairns over the weekend, so the season was over for his club side. Playing in stifling 34degC heat in Cairns was tough going.
The standard in the Queensland Cup grade was high, he said, with many former and prospective NRL players competing in the competition.
He was enjoying playing in that grade and felt it was a similar standard to Mitre 10 Cup in rugby in New Zealand.
Ferguson had put on some weight and was now up to 97kg. An apprentice carpenter, Ferguson was having long days, training with the Broncos under20 squad for two days, and then the Magpies for another two.
He got to work about 6.30am on weekdays and finished about 3.30pm. From there he went to training at either the Broncos or the Magpies, and that often went through to 7.30pm.
His contract was at an end at the finish of the season, and he was weighing up his future.
The Broncos had some big young forwards coming through, but Ferguson said he still felt he had time to fully develop both in his game and physically.
Having invested two years in his rugby league career he wanted to see how it developed, so at the moment there was no urge to come back to rugby. Junior Kiwis wider squad: Brisbane Broncos: Rory Ferguson, Jordan Riki; Canberra Raiders: Paul Roache; Canterbury Bulldogs: Morgan Harper; CronullaSutherland Sharks: Jackson Ferris, Cruz TopazAveai; Gold Coast Titans: Darius Farmer, Moeaki Fotuaika, Jaxson Paulo, Kea Pere; Manly Sea Eagles: Manase Fainu, Tevita Funa, Moses Suli; Melbourne Storm: Kayleb Milne, Junior Rutava, Kelma Tuilagi; Newcastle Knights: Pasame Saulo; North Queensland Cowboys: Peter Hola, Sean Mullany, Emry Pere, Murray Taulagi; Parramatta Eels: Tui Afualo, Dylan Brown, Haze Dunstar, Oregon Kaufusi; Penrith Panthers: Dean Blore; St George Illawarra Dragons: Steven Marsters; Sydney Roosters: Bailey BentleyHarper; South Sydney Rabbitohs: Jesse Arthars, Mawene Hiroti, Lucky Ta’avale; New Zealand Warriors: Tom Ale, Chanel HarrisTavita, Hayze Perham, Preston Riki, Tyler Slade, Lewis Soosemea, Paul Turner, Joseph Vuna.
AUCKLAND: Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor are in line to return to the Kiwis for their endofseason internationals.
They have been named in an extended Kiwis squad with an eye to next month’s oneoff test against the Kangaroos and the tour of England that follows.
Bromwich and Proctor have not played for New Zealand since being caught using cocaine after last year’s Anzac test in Canberra.
New Kiwis coach Michael Maguire has previously said he wanted to bring them back into national consideration.
Maguire will trim his squad once the NRL season is over.
Eight Warriors players have been included in the extended squad.
Warriors captain Roger TuivasaSheck — his club’s player of the year for a second season — and teammates Shaun Johnson and Adam Blair are among the group, having missed the test in Denver earlier this year.
Rookie Warriors secondrower Isaiah Papali’i is one of seven uncapped players. He has also been named in the extended Junior Kiwis squad.
Kiwis wider squad.—
Brisbane Broncos: Jamayne Isaako, Jordan Kahu, Kodi Nikorima; Canberra Raiders: Jordan Rapana, Joseph Tapine; Canterbury Bulldogs: Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Reimis Smith; Cronulla Sutherland Sharks: Sosaia Feki; Gold Coast Titans: Kevin Proctor; Manly Sea Eagles: Martin Taupau; Melbourne Storm: Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jesse Bromwich, Kenneath Bromwich, Jahrome Hughes, Brandon Smith; Newcastle Knights: Herman Ese’ese, Danny Levi; North Queensland Cowboys: Te Maire Martin; Penrith Panthers: James FisherHarris, Corey HarawiraNaera, Dallin WateneZelezniak, Dean Whare; St George Illawarra Dragons: Leeson Ah Mau; Sydney Roosters: Isaac Liu, Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves; New Zealand Warriors: Gerard Beale, Adam Blair, Tohu Harris, Peta Hiku, Shaun Johnson, Issac Luke, Ken Maumalo, Isaiah Papali’i, Roger TuivasaSheck; Wests Tigers: Esan Marsters.