NSW’s last-gasp try to seal the series in Game Three last year is a moment that will go down in State of Origin folklore but it turns out it was also a play that had been four years in the making.
Ferguson recalled on Defending the Shield how the match-winning play when he made a break down the sideline before finding James Tedesco on his inside in support was an almost identical play to one the pair had combined for in Game III of the 2016 series.
On that occasion, NSW had lost the series but were determined to send retiring captain Paul Gallen out on a winning note and while Tedesco was cut down short of the line, the Blues had the momentum to score off the next play through Michael Jennings to claim a heart-stopping 18-14 victory.
Fast-track four years later and incredibly, Ferguson and Tedesco emulated almost an identical play in Game III of the 2019 Origin series, only for Tedesco to score in the right-hand corner for the series-winning try and send the Blues’ faithful into scenes of jubilation.
“I couldn’t hear him, but I could see him out of the corner of my eye because we had done the same thing in 2016 when he made his debut and that was to win the game as-well,” Ferguson said of the déjà vu moment.
“I made a break then I passed (the ball) to him and he got caught by Cooper (Cronk).
“But this time I passed it and he scored and I was cheering.
“I don’t think I had the energy to jump up and run and chase because my legs felt like concrete.”
The try ensured NSW would claim back-to-back series victories for the first time since 2005 while coach Brad Fittler became just the second Blues coach in history to record more than one series victory to his name.
Ferguson recalled when he saw Maroons five-eighth Corey Norman coming across with a desperate cover tackle as he soared down the touchline but revealed that Norman’s defence had been a talking point amongst the squad throughout the week.
While most would think that Ferguson’s memorable run was purely done on instinct, it was also a result of the hard-work done in the lead-up after studying Queensland’s defensive movements.
“I think (Cameron) Murray was getting the pass from dummy-half and I don’t know whether he was just going for a hit-up or ‘Junior’ (Mitchell Pearce) called it,” Ferguson said.
“He just throws it out…and ‘Turbo’ (Trbojevic) has got the ball and he’s flying, and I’m trying chase after him and I’ve almost fallen over trying to chase him.
“(Corey) Oates bit in (on Trbojevic) and then he just passed it to me, and we had spoken about Corey Norman throughout the week – talking about his tackling ability.
“So as soon as I saw him come across I just thought ‘I just have to go for it here’.
“I don’t think I had any energy, I was just flying down as quick as I could run, and he tried to tackle me with his left shoulder but (didn't) put the arm around.
“Then ‘Teddy’ was flying up the middle like always and I just gave it to the best player in the world."