Suspended NRL player Blake Ferguson will fight allegations he groped a young woman at a Sydney nightclub, a court has heard.
He could have been preparing for the NSW State of Origin decider on Tuesday, but instead Ferguson fronted Waverley Local Court where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting the woman at Cronulla on June 16.
Flanked by supporters, including former NRL star Anthony Mundine, Ferguson declined to comment as he entered court on Tuesday.
He is accused of indecently assaulting the 23-year-old woman at the 2230 Bar and Restaurant by touching her vagina, according to documents tendered in court.
Ferguson was partying with former Canberra Raiders teammate Josh Dugan at the time of the alleged offence, which came nearly two weeks after his impressive debut in a Blues jersey.
He has since been suspended indefinitely by the NRL.
Ferguson was on his final warning at the Raiders after he was stood down for one game and fined $10,000 for skipping a recovery session to go drinking with Dugan, who was sacked over the incident in March.
Last month, Canberra made Ferguson unavailable for NRL selection for at least four weeks while he undertook an extensive alcohol management program.
The NRL cited repeated behavioural issues involving the abuse of alcohol when they suspended his registration indefinitely.
Both the NRL and Raiders will await the outcome of the court case before making a final determination on Ferguson over that issue.
The matter was adjourned until September 3, when Ferguson will not be required to appear.
He remains on bail.
The alleged incident echoes the build-up to the first game of this year's Origin series, when Queensland's Ben Te'o was accused of assaulting a woman while Broncos fullback Corey Norman and Maroons teammate Darius Boyd were also present.
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