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I am not convinced that Mitchell Pearce should have been chosen as a starting player for Friday’s Broncos vs Roosters grand final qualifier at Suncorp.
Of course, I am aware he is co-captain of the Sydney Roosters but does that mean Pearce should be an automatic pick for a game in which the loser heads off on holidays?
Pearce ripped a hamstring in a premiership game against Brisbane five weeks ago. This was a serious injury and there must be a major risk of him breaking down again, but coach Trent Robinson has rolled the dice, nodding for Pearce, with Jackson Hastings named on the interchange bench.
Hastings has done a terrific job in Pearce’s absence, showing that he is right up to the level of top-grade football, and the accompanying pressure of finals football seems to be oxygen for the highly gifted 19-year-old.
The Roosters have not missed Pearce for a moment, and have had a better backline flow with the kid giving slick service to James Maloney and others.
Channel Nine commentator and analyst Phil Gould keeps pointing out that Hastings is very clever on last-tackle options and doesn’t bomb-bomb-bomb blindly, taking the guesswork out of play for opposing fullbacks.
Pearce has been guilty of such repetitive plays in many big games, including State of Origin, and the Broncos will gratefully receive such free possession and territory if Pearce does not come up with more variety in his last-tackle plays.
Bombs have their place – and the Roosters have some brilliant chasers and catchers – but I would prefer to see Pearce run the ball more, or send through some dangerous grubbers for the likes of Michael Jennings and Blake Ferguson to swoop on.
Coach’s instructions or not, Pearce is way too predictable.
If Hastings had been named as a starter, Brisbane would not have known what was coming next. With Pearce back at No.7, the Broncos will know exactly what is happening and will react accordingly.
Regular readers of my columns should know by now that I am not the greatest fan of Pearce. I have not been happy to have him as the NSW half because he can play and serve the teams he represents a heck of a lot better.
It’s not personal, I just like to see wholesale variety in halfbacks, a level of unpredictability and uncertainty that arises whenever they handle the football. You always get that with the other three halves who are still ‘alive’ in the NRL finals.
Can you say or predict, for certain, what Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk or Ben Hunt are going to do on any last-tackle option? Not on your life.
Pearce is a good player but lacks the spontaneity of this trio. You pretty much get the feeling that he is going to do something – and he does.
Hastings? Well, he’s relatively new in town and instinctively plays what is in front of him. Predictable? No. He hasn’t been in the top grade long enough for any opposition to know what he’s up to next.
He should have been retained for this huge game for momentum reasons along with the fact that choosing an injury-weakened, and possibly rusty Pearce, is an unnecessary gamble.
Roosters fans, fellow Roarers, anyone, are welcome to take umbrage at my thoughts, but I noticed that a recent newspaper poll had more than 50 per cent of readers feeling that Hastings should have retained the No.7 gig, at least for this week.
One can take or leave polls of any kind, but the majority who voted for the up-and-coming Roosters halfback feel he’s the best chance the club has of getting past Brisbane and snaring a grand final berth.
Coach Robinson and company could sink or swim in 2015 on the strength of the roulette gamble on No.7. No more bets…
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