It is official, Mitchell Pearce is back in a Blues jumper after his one-year sabbatical. He has learnt a lot in his year off from state of Origin and now he is ready to finally silence his critics.
Wait a minute, haven’t we heard this all before?
Actually, before we get too far into this let me state that on form Mitchell Pearce is the best NSW half in the comp. He has been great this year, and I am not for a second going to pretend otherwise.
But anyway it is once again time for a Mitchell Pearce Origin redemption story. Truth is it has been building for a while now this season but now that the official NSW team list is out with Mitchell ‘11 and 4′ Pearce being selected proudly at number 7. This is the 16th time he has been selected in the halves for NSW, tying him up with Andrew Johns for most appearances in the number halfback role for the Blues.
And what impact has Mitchell Pearce made in his 15 previous appearances? Two drop-outs, 51 missed tackles and 15 drop balls make up the Pearce highlight reel.
But that isn’t my biggest problem with his selection. My biggest problem is the already mentioned ‘redemption’ narrative. Yes, that narrative that just seems to follow Mitchell Pearce every Origin series like a bad smell.
Everyone has probably heard the same squawks of ‘Mitchell Pearce has grown since his Australia Day incident and has never been in better form. Plus now the team will be his and his alone. This is the year Mitchell Pearce silences his critics and redeems himself’.
You cannot escape it if you are reading about State of Origin or watching a 2017 Sydney Roosters game. And I think it is ironic because leading up to and during the 2015 series all we heard was ‘Mitchell Pearce has grown since his King’s Cross incident and has never been in better form. This is the year Mitchell Pearce silences his critics and redeems himself’.
Which again is ironic because in 2013 we heard ‘Mitchell Pearce has grown a lot from his earlier Origin games. With his career-best form and his amazing partnership with James Maloney this is the year Mitchell Pearce silences his critics and redeems himself’. Which once again was ironic because in 2010 we were fed ‘Mitchell Pearce was picked way too early for Origin in 2008. But he has grown as a player and is in career best form. This is the year he redeems himself’. Does anyone else notice the pattern here?
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Yes it seems every two to three years when Origin is approaching where every journalist, Roosters fan and their dog jump up and down about how Mitchell Pearce is going great and will redeem himself in State of Origin this year. And every year Mitchell Pearce has to wear the egg all over his face when he inevitably doesn’t do it.
This constantly peddled narrative is the reason his form in Origin is considered one of the game’s biggest in-jokes and is the reason that the casual fans seems to think that he is overrated.
And there is always a different reason as to why he will succeed now besides his form. First it was his older age, then it was his Maloney partnership, then it was his growing up after the Kings Cross incident and now it is apparently all Robbie Farah and Paul Gallen’s fault that he was bad in Origin, and if he is given sole responsibility he will be great. But is it really Paul Gallen’s fault that Mitchell Pearce has missed 49 tackles in Origin?
It must just be a coincidence that the team played perfectly fine without Pearce in 2014.
And maybe it is correct. Maybe with the keys to the NSW kingdom, Mitchell Pearce proves the haters wrong and defies the haters. But can we please at least wait until Mitchell Pearce has won a series, or played really well in a series before we label him with the redemption tagline? It is probably just heaping more pressure onto the guy.
Can we wait until he has lifted that Origin Shield before we make countless excuses for the guy’s poor form in previous seasons?
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
I also can’t stand the double standards that New South Wales seem to have with Mitchell Pearce and his Origin history. Like sure, pick an underperforming Jarryd Hayne and an undercooked Josh Dugan because they have always performed in the Origin arena. But oh no, you gotta ignore the Mitchell Pearce Origin past because of ‘reasons’!
We won’t ignore Dylan Walker’s past in Origin though. After all, had a bad game last year coming off the bench as a stupid super sub who was only used for seven minutes, so we better not pick this year him despite being the form centre of the comp. He let NSW down in Origin.
Either pick on form or pick on Origin history, don’t just apply it however you feel like. Mitchell’s best games have been tolerable at best and at worst atrocious and you just cannot ignore that.
All in all, do I think Pearce deserves a shot at Origin again?
Well, I guess I sort of do. Mainly because the NSW halves situation is dire as my current dating life.
But can we please stop painting him with this ‘redemption story’ brush? Can we please stop making excuses for him? And can we please stop giving him so many more chances than other New South Wales players?
I just wonder what the story will be in 2019 if Mitchell Pearce underachieves again.
ChristopherGrant
Guest
Not to worry Lidcombe Oval, This clown had also passionately picked to Roosters, not to make the 8... He has a beef with both Pearce and the Chooks.
Lidcombe Oval
Guest
Keith- time you got a life as you seem way too obsessed with Pearce as some others on here are too. A Love hate relationship perhaps?? Never mind we wont say anything about your Pearce man crush though.
jacksyd
Guest
Roosters v Raiders no Pearce. Roosters are specials. Get on boys !!!
Squidward
Roar Rookie
#IllStandWithSquid
Brett
Guest
Pearce is 28 years old. I think this current QLD side has another 2 years of dominance before origin evens out again.
Charles NSW
Guest
NSW had man of match performances in both the 1/2 back and 5/8 roles from Greg Bird and Luke Lewis. This is when Pearce started his career and all the time people were saying he is the best half we got? Pearce was too early for SOO and anyone that understands league would realize that. We could have used Bird and Lewis until we had coached players to take over but we did not and have paid the penalty or somone else that can compliment their game plan. I see that Daley has used a new hooker now so as to compliment Pearce playing style This is what should have been done in the first place and having a good game plan to follow.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
JT,Cronk,Lockey all those players hadn’t doen anything more in the game than MP up to the same age. Im just replying to your comment which is complete rubbish and you made it without making a prediction.
Birdy
Guest
Epi, Laurie Daley is 1 of my all time favourite players. I think his future as a soo coach rests on Pearce having a major impact in game 1. I hope he goes good but i wouldn't like my career hanging on it. Smith, cronk and thaiday know how to frustrate him.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
I'm not of the opinion that he's anywhere near the standard of Cronk or Thurston, but I do think if he was in the Australian team along side one of them ,they would still win more than they lose . Apparently he and Farah had quite a few "blues" at training about the direction in which games went . I'll be the first one on here to admit he's played like junk after game one if he does.
Nostradamus
Guest
Not trying to do that but pearce is only 26/27. QLD's golden era is over and NSW will now start dominating I think and after all the crap he's got it will be interesting to read the comments on him when my prediction comes true
Pedro the Maroon
Guest
You seriously think it was the NSW halves that won the series in 2014. That may be one factor but I also submit Cronk's injury and Thaiday overthe line to score but Hayne somehow causing hi to spill the pill. It's not like QLD were on the end of a 30-0 thrashing - the NSW halves just happened to be on the paddock when NSW won.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I'm with you squid.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I think that's what bothers me most about Pearce. There are soooo many Blues players who are only ever given one shot and then are basically blacklisted for life, yet Pearce is given more second chances than just about anybody in the sport.
Bunney
Roar Rookie
Hahaha! "...even a broken clock is accurate sometimes"
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Agreed, so much truth in this article!
jacksyd
Guest
What does it tell you when NSW are ecstatic Billy Slater has been excluded from the QLD team and QLD are equally ecstatic Mitchell Pearce is in the NSW team? Maybe Daley is a genius. Lose game 1, give QLD a false sense of security, drop Pearce and come back for a 2-1 NSW win. Simple.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Thurston had 6 SOO Series wins at 28 years old to go with 2 Dally Ms, 3 x Dally M HBs, 1 x RLPA POTY. 2 x RLIF HB of the year and 1 x Golden Boot. Lockyer was a part of 2 x Winning Origin Series and was involved in the 2 drawn series was already the Kangaroos captain had won a RLWC with Australia, a Golden Boot, Clive Churchill winner. Cronk was a 2 x Dally M halfback of the year had just finsihed his second Origin series win as well as playing for Australia on a few occasions. Mitchell Pearce has never won a competiton wide, grand final or a representative game individual honour. He has 3 x Roosters POTY awards. Pearce has 0 x Origin series wins. I think he's a good player, but dont try and batch with players far beyond his calibre.
Nostradamus
Guest
Im prepared to give MP a go. JT,Cronk,Lockey all those players hadn't doen anything more in the game than MP up to the same age. Its well known fact that RL forwards and Halves don't play their best footy till their late 20's. The problem for pearce I think is there is so much noise around him and at his age how it could it not have affected you ?
Renegade
Roar Guru
OB, I've said for years that Farah has been the biggest problem in the blues side.... he tries too hard to be Cameron Smith when his not and everything was based around his poor decisions from dummy half and him trying to be the architect of the big plays ,taking over the kicking, etc, etc. That said, I don't believe Pearce is cut out for rep level... his had 15 chances and he should've been demanding the ball and taking ownership - you'd be hard pressed to find a highlight from pearce in his 15 games.... the number 6 has always outshined him within the halves pairing. Right now, his in great form but if NSW don't win this series... he should be blacklisted because the team named should be good enough to win and even then how much of that - will actually be due to him.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
I just watched the last 10 , game 3 2013 ,,,Blues trail by 2 with 8 to go , Fafita and Hoffman let QLD off the hook with a stupid penalty a cuppla metres off their own line . Then with 30 seconds to go Robbie ( I'm a FW Farah ) kicks on the second tackle to give QLD the victory. Pearce has hardly been given the ball by Farah in the last ten . Yet somehow the blame is heaped on him . Just rubbish this talk that he is somehow responsible for the run of losses .