- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
It is Saturday night and a young couple are wrapping their child’s birthday present – a brand-new New South Wales State of Origin jumper, which will be opened in the morning and cherished forever.
Like many families, they are struggling financially but still fork out $100 for the kid’s replica jersey. That kid goes to bed smiling, because he knows that Blues jumper will be his when he wakes up the next day.
For the next week he’ll be in the backyard wearing his sky blue jersey, swerving like Jarryd Hayne, kicking like Robbie Farah and diving over imaginary try lines like Brett Morris.
That kid doesn’t know about bills or mortgages yet. All he cares about is how good that jersey feels when he puts it on.
A world away from that suburban backyard, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, is the glamorously volatile cacoon of professional rugby league. While families are scraping together $100 for birthday presents in suburbia, incumbent NSW halfback Mitchell Pearce has the difficult task of deciding whether to hit the town ten days out from Origin selection or stay home.
Pearce decides to head out.
Whether or not Pearce has a case to answer for the incident is an argument for somebody else. Perhaps nothing will come of it and normality will return for Pearce, the Sydney Roosters and the young woman.
The Roosters issued a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The Sydney Roosters have been made aware that Mitchell Pearce was issued with an infringement notice for failure to quit a licensed premises overnight.
The infringement notice was issued and the fine paid. The Roosters have advised the NRL’s Integrity Unit.
From here, the club will address the matter internally and will be making no further comment.
The problem is the fact Pearce was out at all just days before he was set to be named in Laurie Daley’s squad.
Why now Mr Pearce? Are you not worried at all about the predicament your state is in?
What about how desperate we are to not let the Queenslanders win a ninth straight series?
Blake Ferguson, James Tamou, Josh Dugan and now Pearce. It reeks of arrogance.
If Pearce isn’t embarrassed enough as it is, let’s just remember who his father was.
Wayne Pearce was and still is a man of honour, loyalty and respect. ‘Junior’ was a workhorse who spilt blood for NSW in 16 outings for his beloved state and will forever be remembered as the first Blues captain to lead NSW to a 3-0 series whitewash, in 1986.
The halfback may well be cleared by police but Daley should drop him on principle. Would Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk be so stupid to find themselves in Kings Cross at 1.30am on a Sunday morning on the eve of Origin?
When the Blues finally do break this Origin streak it will be because of a special group of New South Welshmen who know what they’re fighting for. It can’t be won by guys like Pearce, who would prefer to run the gauntlet of Kings Cross rather than prepare for the first State of Origin match on May 28th.
To make matters worse for Pearce is the fact that he and a number of other Roosters players were asked to leave Clovelly Hotel hours prior to their ill-fated trip to the Cross. Reports suggest Pearce and rising star Boyd Cordner became aggressive toward staff when given the punt. The decisions made by Pearce aren’t those of a future club captain or a 7 who can help conquer the mighty Maroons.
While Pearce licks his wounds in Bondi, a state is fuming.
Already on shaky ground with most NSW supporters, this is undoubtedly the last straw for frustrated Blues fans. Playing rugby league for a living and being selected for your state is more than just a job, it’s a privilege. It’s for people like Pearce’s dad, that kid in the backyard in his new Blues jumper, and anyone else who has lived through the torture of the last eight years.
Life is a series of choices and you are judged by the choices you make.
Pearce put himself into a position where he should be judged by all of us and he has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t respect the sky blue jumper or what it stands for.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.