Canberra prop David Shillington says controversial centre Blake Ferguson has earned the right to make an NRL comeback and insists his return will not divide the Raiders.
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The Raiders' failure to take a harsh stance on Ferguson's off-field discipline had caused some division and frustration in Canberra's senior playing ranks.
Shillington quit the club's leadership group around the time of Ferguson's latest indiscretion, when he was was charged with indecent assault over an alleged incident at a Cronulla bar in June.
Ferguson will play his first NRL game in almost two months when the Raiders take on the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Shillington said the team was united on the decision to have Ferguson reinstated, a week after the Raiders suffered the worst loss in the club's history, a 68-4 defeat to the Melbourne Storm.
''It got reported that I wasn't happy with [Ferguson] being in the team and I contacted him straight away to sort it out. He understood that,'' Shillington said.
''We're all good, that's all in the past now. The incident he had is a long time behind him now.
''He's had a suspension from the NRL and he's worked his way back into first grade. He has earned his spot back and we can't knock him on his performances on the field.''
Ferguson hasn't played NRL since the Raiders beat the Panthers on June 15.
The incident on the eve of NSW's camp for Origin II was Ferguson's second indiscretion of the season.
He was part of the infamous drinking-on-the-roof scandal with former Raiders teammate Josh Dugan.
Still stinging from a record loss to the Melbourne Storm, Shillington said the Raiders needed Ferguson on the field ''doing what we know he can do'' to repair the damage of their capitulation last weekend.
''We're really happy with how [Ferguson's] trained and his commitment to the team,'' Shillington said.
''He's welcome back in the team and we need him out there playing his best footy, and he's keen to do that.
''It's an ongoing thing with Blake, he's got his counselling thing and he's got the full support of the team with trying to help himself off the field.
''We're not worrying about it too much, we just need a strong focus on footy.
''We'll let Blake take care of himself off the field and if he makes that commitment to us on the field and scores the tries like we need him to, we're happy to have him out there.''
Canberra's loss to the Storm was a brutal reality check to start a season-defining month, which includes matches against the Roosters, the Bulldogs and Manly.
Shillington said Canberra lacked desperation in its woeful effort against the Storm.
''We missed our job on a lot of things … The Roosters are probably a step above Melbourne,'' Shillington said.
The Roosters are at the top of the ladder and are premiership favourites.
The Raiders are seventh and lock Shaun Fensom said they needed to beat the Roosters to ''redeem ourselves''.
''We'll go up there with a completely different attitude and hopefully come away with the two points,'' Fensom said.
''I think the top four sides are very clinical and the rest of the sides have little lapses. You've got to get that out of your game, if you want to be in the top four.''