Before Todd Carney was a Shark, he was supposed to be the answer for the Roosters. In 2011, he was the reigning Dally M player of the year.
His comeback story is one of the most inspiring NRL stories of this decade: a washed up, cast-away prodigy who should have known better.
In 2010 he was given a second chance and he grasped onto it with his commitment, and talent. He was a legend in the making.
Todd Carney and Mitchel Pearce would have combined to be one of the most energetic and lethal halves combinations since perhaps Andrew and Matthew Johns. I enjoyed the way they played together; they complimented each other well, like yin and yang. Pearce would control the game with his superb kicking, he is the kind of guy you can rely on, as long as you don’t expect him to do extraordinary things.
He is not surgical yet but you can tell he is going to develop into a class act. He is the halfback solution for NSW and in time you know he is going to be an automatic selection for the Kangaroos after Jonathan Thurston retires.
Pearce may not be the game winner every weekend, but the fans know that when the Roosters lose, the loss will not be on him.
Then you have got Carney, he provides the spark and is a proven game changer. It was just magical watching him play; he can run through gaps, slice through tackles, kick for the wingers; he can do all of that while being one of the most prolific goal-kickers in the league.
He is an offensive weapon of mass destruction, but the special thing about Carney is his instinct. As a person, he is not the sharpest tool in the toolshed, much like Andrew Johns, but on the field he does things not many other players are capable of.
Todd Carney wanted to be a Rooster for life. The Roosters were supposed to win at least a couple of premierships with this pair of young stars.
Then something went wrong, no one can pinpoint the exact moment when Carney snapped and was never the same again. I don’t think even Carney knows that, but he will be up in the middle of the night thinking about this, perhaps for the rest of his life.
It has become a topic Roosters fans speculate about at the pub after every loss, every court appearance, and every news article. But I guess, like other great mysteries, we will never know the truth.
He is now a Shark, and perhaps with his third (or fourth or fifth) chance at redemption, he will bring a premiership to the shire.
john
Guest
the guy from the rabbits is already a better halfback then pearce and its his first year pearce is a 1st grade player but should never play for nsw again until he dominates 1st grade for a year
Hoy
Roar Guru
Yeah bad halfacks probably can't survive 120 games. But basic halfbacks can. He is not a great halfback. Cherry Evans won a premiership in his first year in the NRL. Yeah, he had a great team, but he was fantastic in that great team as well. He was no passenger. He laid on plenty of tries for the team. You say Pearce needs stability in his partner to improve his game and kicking? With three times more games, and therefore three times more practice than Cherry Evans, his kicking is more than three times worse than Cherry Evans I think. I can't help but feel Pearce is nothing more than a solid 7. If a solid 7 gets to represent Australia, they would be in rotation, because the league is chocka block with solid 7s. If a solid 7 gets to represent Australia, how did they pick him over other solid 7s? I would stop short of saying Pearce had a free ride based on his name, but I am thinking it...
rl
Guest
true, Pearce is not a bad halfback... just not a very good one. If he's an automatic after Thurston is gone, we're looking at a very rough patch for Australian league.
Brian
Guest
Mitchell Pearce will never be as good as Jonathon Thurston. Someone else will put there hand up as a replacement before he retires.
Matt
Guest
Until he settles he will never be good. Almost like the Tigers, on their day they're unstoppable, but they have quite a few bad ones. You have a loose cannon or two on your bench for impact, not in the halves. Do you want Thurston who will turn up & perform 90% of the time, or Carney who can be just as good, but only 10% of the time. Pretty simple.
turbodewd
Guest
I found it apt that neither Carney nor Pearce could help their team win in overtime last night. Pearce is an average halfback. Carney is usually a decent 5/8th. Can I just say it again for effect? Mitchell Pearce is a very average halfback. His creativity rivals a tax auditor.
Nicholashugo
Roar Pro
this was written a year ago, i am not saying he doesnt have work to do but Pearce is the same age as Cherry-Evans but he has played in 3 times more matches than him already. i just dont think a bad halfback can survive in the NRL for 120 games. he just needs a solid partner in the halves that is gonna stay long enough to provide stability for him to work on his game and improve his kicking.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I hope Pearce is never in the Kangaroos. He is not a great halfback. Cherry Evans is 10 times the halfback Pearce is.
Ken
Guest
Yeah but Canberra fans would argue that your article should start: Before Todd Carney was a Rooster or a Shark, he was supposed to be the answer for the Raiders.... who's next I wonder?
Nicholashugo
Roar Pro
In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have used the words 'superb kicking'...