Halfback Mitchell Pearce credits the positive energy of his Sydney Roosters teammates for helping him move on from his State of Origin heartache and strengthen the club’s NRL premiership tilt.
Pearce has bounced back from the lowest point of his career – with a disappointing Origin III performance helping hand Queensland an eighth straight series win – to produce some of the best football of his life in recent weeks.
Heading into Monday night’s meeting with Wests Tigers at Allianz Stadium, the Roosters are flying high atop the NRL ladder, having won seven straight games – the last four coming after the Blues’ Origin III disappointment.
Pearce admits the immediate aftermath of the Origin series loss was hard to take, but with so much to play for at the Roosters, there was little time to dwell on what might have been.
“After the game, it is what it is, you can’t change the past, as much as you’d like to,” said Pearce, who will become the second-youngest player behind Paul Langmack to reach 150 NRL games on Monday night.
“For me, I just had my next goals, what my next focus would be, and that was straight onto the Roosters.
“You’re obviously on a bit of a low after a loss like that and a big campaign.
“The boys were really supportive, it was just full of energy when we got back, you just don’t want to let anyone down, you just want to jump on the train a bit.”
Roosters fans are hoping it’s an express service all the way to ANZ Stadium on October 6, for what many anticipate will be a date with arch-rivals South Sydney and the man most believe will inherit Pearce’s NSW No.7 jumper – Adam Reynolds.
Despite saying before the Origin decider that he expected his could be his last game for NSW if the Blues lost, Pearce hopes to get another crack at the Maroons.
For what it’s worth, he doesn’t believe his game three performance was the shocker many have labelled it.
What it was however was another lesson on development as an NRL footballer.
“After all that talk out of all the game … there was a couple of kicks and a couple of execution things if I had my time again would have liked to have done better,” Pearce said of Origin III.
“I thought there was some good passages in the game as well.
“At the end of the day, while the Origin’s such a big spectacle and there’s so much at stake, it’s just another game of footy and it’s just like playing an NRL game here.
“You go out to the game, you’re going to make mistakes, you’ve got to learn from them and build on it.
“I’ve tried to take out whet I didn’t execute great in that game, work on it at training just like I do every week with an NRL game. I feel like I’m developing, especially the last month.”
DMW
Guest
Breaking news... http://snd.sc/1759Rbu
Nappa
Guest
Seriously I hope NSW pick him again, love how the so call experts pick him but have loss 8 origins in a row, this has never happened before. His 3rd origin this year was woeful and he thinks he played decent, that's the worse origin performance @ halfback for any team as I have ever seen. WTF.
Slowlearner
Guest
What's alarming is that it's taken vargen TWELVE goes and we're now expected to believe he's finally learnt. No disrespect but NRL, especially the Tigers is not Origin.
WillieOMG
Guest
Daley is obsessed with Pearce. I remember the numerous interviews very very early when he kept saying he had already picked Pearce. Hes tough he tackles well hes built for Origin. That doesnt win you games alone otherwise we would've broken the streak by now. And you need no.7 that can build pressure off back of penalties and possession on their tryline. No.7 that kicks well and doesnt overplay that role. something that reynolds does week in week out for 2 seasons now and counting. ..
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
After watching Adam Reynolds tear Manly apart on Friday night, I simply cannot fathom how he wasn't selected for NSW this year. All the commentators say he isn't ready. Well if this is him not ready then I'm scared of how good he could be when he is ready. And ready or not, he is still 10 times the player Mitchell Pearce is.
MJ
Guest
Pearce a strong contender for the worst halfback in the history of SOO.
Chris
Guest
Yes they should with the words "never allow to play again" in there
Xnowmann
Guest
The words Pearce and Origin should never be whispered in the same sentence again.
db swannie
Guest
Well said chappy .He has not got the vision,skill or ability to play SOO . Things are bad when the main playmaker cant get a repeat set in 3 games. Jesus ,Sam Thiaday even got a repeat set ..
Chappy
Guest
So if you had your time again you would do things different. Hmmm, problem is Mitch. You just don't have the talent or skills to perform in SOO. Never have never will. Time for the old boys club to move on from this sham selection. It's past ridiculous and is an absolute joke.
evan
Guest
Bottom line, Pearce has failed at Origin level and all the hype about his return to form at NRL level is based on games against struggling teams. Big deal.
QDF
Guest
Pearce ,HOW MANY CHANCES do u want.Little Mitch has had his last game for the blues.If he gets another chance,after the melt down, he displayed in origin3,well that will do me.Both he and L.DALEY'S,performance in picking Pearce over CARNEY,WAS THE BIGGEST,blunder of seen in 33rys of watching SOO football...It was as if DALEY didn't want to win....Then he bung's on the i was devastated....Daley picked Pearce because he's a brown nosing WAYNE PEARCE,a NSWRL board member...DUMP little Mich pearce &DUMP Daley,theyare both incompetent.....