With the finals a week away, I thought it would be appropriate to have one last State of Origin debate – ’cause why the hell not?
Seeing Mitchell Pearce run down a rampant Greg Inglis with a 10-metre head start on Thursday night told me one thing.
Pearce should be Origin halfback in 2015.
This long-running pub debate has been the subplot for the NSW versus Queensland’s three-match fixture every year, and I will ignite it for one more time in 2014. Before there are any eye-rolls or head-shakes, let me give you a few reasons as to why I believe Pearce should get the number seven nod over Trent Hodkinson next year.
1. He’s finally performing in big games
Watching him in the last three to four games has confirmed something. Mitchell Pearce is finally playing up to the standards expected of him – consistently, and in big games. This is due to a premiership win, a World Club Champions win and a year out of the Origin spotlight.
If he continues this form, I have no problems dubbing the Roosters as the first team to go back-to-back since the Broncos in the early 1990s, and Pearce being the reason why.
2. NSW were lucky this year
No one’s mind rushed into a state of euphoria than mine seeing Hodkinson slice through a scrappy attempt from Ben Te’o to score the try which won the Blues their first series win since 2005.
This, however, was probably thanks to a lucky decision by the refs to deny Sam Thaiday a try which could have (and has before) gone either way. In Game 1 – if Cooper Cronk remained injury free – I think there would have been a different result. Again, pretty lucky.
3. Games 1 and 2 were not halves games
NSW winning the first two games was not due to their halves partnership. When Cronk went down in Game 1, it became the Jarryd Hayne show, Hodkinson was noticeably missing (his debut though, so I can understand). Game 2 was anything but a normal rugby league game. The forwards wrestled in a stalemate with an incredible amount of niggle on display, making for just awful viewing.
I actually think it’s possible to proclaim that thanks to the silly ‘one punch and you’re off’ rule, NSW won the 2014 State of Origin series. It meant the series was decided without Johnathan Thurston or Daly Cherry-Evans getting much of a go. Game 3 however, was a halves game – and a second half demolition by Thurston and Cronk should serve Laurie Daley and his team a massive warning as to what might be coming next year.
4. NSW need to be positive
I can see it now, can’t you? If Daley keeps the Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds partnership, I can’t really see any other result than Queensland taking the beloved shield back north to their headquarters.
Much like Michael Clarke promoting himself up the Australian order (even when they are winning), NSW has to be positive in their approach to selection. Putting Pearce ahead of Hodkinson shows NSW are willing to gamble for creativity, form and technique. Expecting a repeat of Games 1 and 2 next year would be folly.
I have a lot of time for Pearce and I think a lot of criticism over the years has been harsh considering he’s always ranked against the likes of Thurston or Cronk. I admit there have been games where he has been noticeably quiet, but I think a return to the team (and being the only player to have not won a series in his team) could give NSW the best chance of retaining the Origin shield for 2015.
What do you think Roarers? Is going back to the future the answer for the Blues next year? Or is this more classic NSW chopping and changing?
otto mukoti
Guest
2015 Blues squad 1.Josh Dugan 2. Daniel Tupou 3.Michael Jennings 4.Josh Morris 5.Brett Morris 6.James Maloney 7. Mitchell Pearce 8.Paul Galle.(c ) 9.Ribbie Farah 10. James Tamou 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Greg Bird 14. Luke Lewis 15. Beau Scott 16. Aron Woods 17. Trent Merrin
Knuckles
Guest
Totally agree with Mitchell Pearce taking back the blues halfback job and Jimmy Maloney should get his position back to, slot Reynolds in somewhere.
Mark Ferguson
Roar Rookie
Nah as a Chook supporter I want him only playing for the chook's stuff origin.
Muzz
Guest
Alan Bell.
Trenno
Guest
I was thinking the same thing. Please pick Pearce!!!, and after the weekend please pick Reynolds!!!
davey
Guest
If those stats meant anything then why is Cooper Cronk considered far and away the best halfback on your little list? And are you really trying to claim that one single game which was a dead rubber (the SOO game 3 2014 example) proves anything at all? What about the previous two (meaningful) encounters that the blues (and Hodkinson) won? Pearce works well at the Roosters because the team plays to his strengths and weaknesses and doesn't try to make him the centre of play. Throw him in another team and he really isn't so good. A true quality player (Cronk, Thurston, Fittler and Johns to name some older names) would have lifted any team they played in. Pearce simply doesn't have that ability. Besides, the tapes don't lie. His SOO performances are there for all to see, and if Laurie wasn't already looking for an excuse to drop him this year then he wouldn't have missed out on Origin over that clubbing non-incident. Loyalty to Wayne has gotten him this far, now he needs to sink or swim on his own merits. He has been playing well lately, but let's not pretend he's one of the best.
Bruklan Marshall
Roar Rookie
mate you must be a QLD fan because no blues fan in their right mind would want pearce at the helm when theres players like brooks, seizer and moses coming through the system
Dr Yes
Guest
Craig, I hear comments that Pearce is 'suddenly performing', but hasn't in the past. Just shows much ignorance and lack of studying Roosters games. What about past 2 years' end-of-season games plus last year's finals, where he outplayed the halves he met? And throw in the 2010 run of the Roosters from mid-pack to grand final via 3 finals wins. Last year he got well over Reynolds in corresponding game, playing with enthusiasm, good running and kicking (similarly to this game), for a try, TA and LBA. What about the 4-0 'epic semi' over Manly? The Roosters were hammered in possession, territory and run metres (Roosters:1150m, Manly: 1750m). A brutal game, with Pearce and Maloney targetted by the big Manly pack. Much of the game in the Roosters half & quarter. But, the Roosters kicked for a whopping 970m, Pearce making 600m from 13 kicks under great pressure. Nearly 50m per kick! Saved the game and was possibly the biggest contribution in a finals game last year. Unnoticed by the pundits, though. (In comparison, DCE looked sexy running in both finals v Roosters, but didn't get results. Totally starved the widely-judged best right-side in the game. In GF: Lyon 27m, G Stewart 32m, B Stewart 60m, Wolfman 60m and 'gifted' pressure/hospital balls late on sideline. Somehow the coordinator for those stats and member of losing side got the Churchill - most bizarre). Pearce's distribution boosted the stats of his centres, wingers and back-rowers. In the GF he popped a quality delayed pass to Guerra, giving a yawning gap, a try, and closing a 10 point margin - passing not repeated by other halves in that game. Last week, he matched Cronk, or possibly shaded him, where that was one of Cronk's better games this year. Pearce critics deny much of that through 'personal opinion'. But results don't lie: - Top Attack 2013 & 2014 (tries and points scored): Roosters. Attack coordinator: Pearce. - Minor Premiers x 2: Roosters - Premiers: Roosters. - Finals stats: All Finals GFs Pearce 6/9 67% (6w of last 7) 1/2 Cronk* 4/7 57% 1/1 Thurston 5/11 45% 0/1 DCE 6/10 60% (3w of last 6) 1/2 S Johnson 2/4 50% 0/1 Wallace 5/8 63% - Soward 3/7 43% 1/1 A Reynolds 2/5 40% - Hodkinson 0/2 0% - *excluding 2006-9 - Storm fielded illegal team ** what will this look like *if* Roosters get to the GF? - SOO '14 Game 3. Cronk plays only game of series (except for 10 mins of first game): Qld 32 (5 tries), NSW 8 (1 try) Hodkinson well outplayed. I do bang on about this, but that's because there's so many twits out there (not you, Craig), who never watch Roosters games, but bag Pearce, anyway. Pearce is not just ahead of Hodkinson, he's a mile ahead. IMO, of course :). And at 25, most of his career's ahead of him (Thurston's 31 and Cronk's nearly 31). Am very happy having Pearce at the Roosters over all of the above halves.
Charles NSW
Guest
Mitchell Pearce 1/2 back for NSW SOO 2015? Must be joking! Ha, Ha, Ha!
Paulus
Guest
Geez guys are you serious??????? Sure this SOO series was not the most dominant display of a NSW halfback but come on Game two staring down a series decider in QLD and our halfback produces the clutch play that delivers the SOO shield south of border after 8 years... Sure he's no JT or Cronk but I'd go for Hodkinson's one origin series win against Pearce's none...
Paulus
Guest
Great GP for game one yes but for game two i think they should have changed it up. They became too predictable attacking down the right side (JT's side).QLD saw it coming and piled the numbers on that edge of the defensive line. If Hodkinson hadn't overruled that play QLD would have been well prepared down that edge....
CNS
Guest
How about this, If NSW are ineligible to win because Gal played what about Australia's world cup win?
cecil
Guest
He has never played good in any origin game. He has always been a passenger in origin and had more than enough chances. Soward is playing just as good at the moment and Reynolds has been on point. Albert Kelly was playing with the same form at the start of the year that Pearce is playing with now... Plus Pearce is playing in a side which is a lot better then the Titans team, yet Kelly was leading them to top of the table. NSW can thank the women in the yeloow dress because if Pearce played origin it would of been 9 in a row.
Pat Malone
Guest
Agree
Pat Malone
Guest
I'm not a huge fan of Pearce, but I agree he's a better player than hodkinson. Pearce for me cops too much vitriol from people. He's still nsw best half
Pat Malone
Guest
Duped and doped, not a drug cheat. There were 17 other players
Pat Malone
Guest
That one leg didn't stop Dce making some great breaks. Wasn't it teo that missed the tackle? Nice excuse anyway
Elma Dudd
Guest
No egg on my face he will always be the boob when I'm watching even if he gets a green and gold jersey .
Johnk
Guest
If Aus hand back the World Cup to NZ by default, that means they went back 2 back!
Doug Graves
Guest
Mitchell Pearce is the Stephen Bradbury of NSW halfbacks. Do not pick him unless everyone else falls over.