Blake Ferguson is set to be dropped from the NSW State of Origin team after being charged with indecent assault following an alleged incident at a bar in Sydney’s south.
Ferguson has been granted conditional bail to appear in Waverley Local Court on July 16.
Detectives viewed CCTV vision and spoke with a number of people in regards to the incident before arresting the Canberra winger at Waverley Police Station early Monday evening.
Police said a 23-year-old ACT man allegedly indecently assaulted a woman, also 23, at about 10.30pm on Sunday at the 2230 Bar and Restaurant in Cronulla.
Troubled former Canberra teammate Josh Dugan was also present at the nightspot but was not involved in the incident.
Ferguson’s charge overshadowed the first day of camp in Coogee for Laurie Daley’s side who are looking to claim a first series win since 2005 with victory over Queensland in Brisbane on June 26.
The team’s main media session for the week was put back by almost two hours on Monday with Daley reading from a prepared statement to confirm police were investigating the situation.
Daley now has little option but to stand Ferguson down as he did with prop James Tamou, who last week was charged with high-range drink-driving.
Ferguson could also find himself without an NRL club having been told by Canberra this year that any further off-field incidents would result in his contract being torn up.
It’s the latest incident in a chequered career for Ferguson, who along with Dugan had been dubbed `the booze brothers’.
The highly talented Dugan was axed by the Raiders after he and Ferguson missed a recovery session to go drinking on his rooftop in the wake of a heavy defeat to Penrith in round one.
Ferguson was given a final warning, fined $10,000, suspended for one game and ordered to undergo counselling.
Since the pair went their separate ways, it has coincided in an upturn in form with Ferguson impressing on his Origin debut.
Dugan has done likewise with a struggling St George Illawarra side to return to the Origin arena for the first time since game one in 2011 after Jarryd Hayne failed to recover from a hamstring injury.
Blues players did their best to play down any claims of disruption with back-rower Ryan Hoffman denying it would affect the build-up to Wednesday week’s game.
“We don’t know anything about it and the attention and speculation is something we can’t control,” Hoffman told AAP.
“But preparations for the game will be as normal and I am sure the team management will keep us informed as to what is going on.
“But all of our focus is on the game.”
The alleged incident echoes the build-up to game one that Queensland experienced with Ben Te’o accused of assaulting a woman where Broncos fullback Corey Norman and Maroons teammate Darius Boyd were also present.
South Sydney forward Te’o has not been charged by police but the lead-up to the series opener was dominated by a complaint by the alleged victim.
The Blues cancelled training on Monday with several players nursing niggling problems from the weekend matches.
But a training camp with school children in Sydney did take place although Dugan and Ferguson were excused from the event.