Blake Fensom May 2026

Next time you see a young lock making 50 tackles and taking a hit-up from a standing start, remember Blake Fensom. He didn’t just play the game. He worked it. Suggested Social Media Caption (for Instagram/Twitter): “Blake Fensom once made 76 tackles in a single game. No chip kicks. No highlight reels. Just relentless blue-collar defense. Here’s to the workhorse the NRL forgot. 💚 #NRL #Raiders #BlakeFensom” Would you like this adapted into a video script or a podcast segment outline?

He finished his career with the North Queensland Cowboys (2017–2018), bringing the same defensive ethos to a club rebuilding after their 2015 premiership. He retired in 2019 with 189 NRL games—a fantastic career, but one that felt like it deserved 250+ if not for the bumps and bruises. blake fensom

Unfortunately, the human body wasn’t built for Fensom’s pace. A relentless string of calf, knee, and foot injuries began to rob him of his mobility. By 2016, the modern game was shifting toward more agile, ball-playing locks. The Raiders, on the cusp of their 2019 Grand Final run, let him go. Next time you see a young lock making

While other forwards were timing their runs, Fensom was tracking opposition dummy-halves. While others rested after a kick chase, Fensom was already sliding into the next marker position. Just relentless blue-collar defense