- CANBERRA 44 bt NEWCASTLE 14 at Canberra Stadium.
BLAKE Ferguson was standing outside the Canberra dressing rooms last night, saying all the things we wanted to hear.
He'd just starred in the 44-14 belting of Newcastle, scoring three tries and throwing the final pass for two others.
But instead of talking up his Origin hopes, Ferguson wanted to talk about winning back "everyone's trust again" at Canberra. It was good to hear.
MATCH CENTRE: RAIDERS v KNIGHTS
This was the same bloke who almost got sacked back in March when he sat on that rooftop sinking Bacardi Breezers with Josh Dugan.
Today we are talking him up as potentially our Origin saviour.
But is he ready?
Yesterday, when Ferguson spoke about how close it all came to ending for him at Canberra, he sounded like a young man who finally cared.
"I had fears," he admitted. "I think it was a big wake-up call.
Blake Ferguson scores one of his tries against the Knights.
"I was taking things for granted and I shouldn't be doing that. I should be working hard and that is what I am doing now."
So is he ready for Origin?
That question was again put to Dave Furner last night.
"I have already spoken about how he is a player who can handle Origin," Furner said.
"His preparation is the key."
This is not Furner avoiding the question - this is Furner trying to answer the riddle that is Blake Ferguson.
Keeping his mind on the job has been the common thread to his career so far.
And right now, obviously, his preparation is going gangbusters.
If you thought he was good last week against Melbourne, then yesterday was the exclamation point on his statement for Origin inclusion.
Bob Fulton called it "a Greg Inglis type performance" on Radio 2GB last night and just for good measure Queensland coach Mal Meninga watched the game from the stands.
Meninga was in Canberra to see David Shillington in his return from injury but would have drove home wondering how he is going to tame the young man he is helping to shape as a footballer.
Ferguson revealed how he has been using Meninga as a sounding board in recent times - for advice on league and life.
"He has obviously had a few words to me," Ferguson said of the former Raiders champion.
"Just telling me what I shouldn't be doing and what I should be doing.
"Every time he comes to training I have a good yarn to him.
"We just sit down and have a good yarn. He's a pretty good fella, I like him."
And the way Ferguson spoke, spoke volumes about how he was doing his best to try to change the public perception of him after so many false starts in his career.
But he couldn't possibly get much better than he was yesterday - which raises the question as to what Laurie Daley will do come Origin time.
Does he play Ferguson on the wing to fill the hole left by Jarryd Hayne's switch to fullback - or does Daley gamble on Ferguson at centre?
Asked how good he can be as a footballer, Furner smiled: "Look, you only have to look at last week and this week, he has plenty of ability.
"But for Fergo it is just about preparation. He can maximise that ability by just keeping focus and he is hell bent on doing it."
For his part, Ferguson admitted he had been dreaming about Origin "since I was a kid".
But then he caught himself, and said: "These two next games are very important."
The Raiders take on the Sharks next Sunday at Cronulla followed by the Sea Eagles at Brookvale.
Then Daley sits down with Fulton to pick the NSW team for the series opener after round 11.
Fingers crossed Ferguson keeps his mind on the job between now and then.
The Knights got the jump on the Raiders as they raced to a 14-0 lead after as many minutes.
But then they went knock on, penalty, knock on - and Ferguson went bang, crash, wallop.
From 14-0 down the Raiders raced in 44 unanswered points in the nine tries-to-two annihilation. Across the park, the Raiders had it all over the Knights.
CANBERRA 44 (S Earl 3 B Ferguson 3 J Picker R Robinson J Wighton tries B Ferguson 4 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 14 (J McManus R Rochow tries K Gidley 3 goals) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Gavin Morris, Jason Robinson. Crowd: 10,453.
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