Mitchell Pearce can’t remain at the Sydney Roosters alongside Cooper Cronk, says his longtime NSW Origin skipper Paul Gallen.
Pearce’s future is under darkening clouds with Cronk this week expected to officially announce a two-year deal with the Roosters.
The club will attempt to convince Pearce to remain when they reportedly meet their long-time halfback on Monday, however, Gallen is convinced the pair can’t co-exist successfully at Moore Park.
“I think if Cooper Cronk does sign with the Roosters, I don’t think Mitchell Pearce can stay,” Gallen on the Nine Network’s Sport Sunday.
“I don’t think the positions of Pearce, (five-eighth Luke) Keary and Cronk fit in together.
“I don’t think you can turn Pearce, who has been a halfback his whole life, into a bench player.”
Gallen said luring Cronk to the club would put heat on coach Trent Robinson.
“It’s a big decision for the Roosters, in my opinion,” he said.
“Unless Cooper Cronk goes there and…they win a competition, it’s going to be called a failure.
“Where does it go back to then? Is the coach then under pressure?”
Cronulla captain Gallen, whose own club had also been linked with Cronk due to a possible James Maloney exit, was Pearce’s NSW teammate in seven series defeats to Queensland since 2008.
“I love Cooper Cronk, he’s a great player. I (would have) loved seeing him come to Cronulla,” Gallen said.
“But the reason he (would) come to Cronulla was because James Maloney apparently may want to leave. That’s the way it would work.
“You’d see him fitting into a club like that.
“If Mitchell Pearce wanted to leave or Keary wanted to leave, I could see him fitting into the Roosters no problems.
“But to fit those three players into two positions, I can’t see how it’s going to work personally.”
Gallen said Pearce had the right to feel aggrieved after giving the club 11 years of service, including playing a leading role in their 2013 premiership triumph.
The pair are good friends with their families holidaying in Hawaii together post-season two years ago.
Pearce, who re-signed with the club on a two-year deal last February, is believed to have already asked for permission to negotiate with rivals clubs should Cronk arrive.
Manly and Newcastle have been mentioned as possible landing spots.
“He’s come through with Boyd Cordner, (Jared) Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Friend; they’ve built this team not around Mitchell Pearce, but around them three to four guys,” Gallen said.
“They’ve won a competition together and he’s 28 years old, he’s still got a lot of years to go.
“He’s currently on a million-dollar contract and now all of a sudden Cooper Cronk comes to the market and they want to sign him?
“You’ve got to remember, they finished second this year. They played in a preliminary final.
“Melbourne Storm were light years in front of anyone. Melbourne Storm were as dominant this year as they were in the mid-2000s when they were uncompliant with the salary cap.
“That’s how good they were this year. They were so much better than everyone else. So I don’t think the Roosters have done too bad.”
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