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Newcastle skipper Mitchell Pearce admits his individual game suffered as he attempted to navigate the side through their slow start to the season.
The Knights will be aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they meet the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.
The clash comes a week after snapping a five-game losing streak by defeating Parramatta thanks to a captain’s knock from Pearce.
“Obviously those losses accumulate and it builds pressure on a new team,” Pearce told reporters on Wednesday.
“And as a captain and halfback, you take it personally.
“I was happy with my game on the weekend. I knew I had to have a big game for the team and lead from the front. I think I did that, and I’ve got to back it up.”
Pearce delivered a vintage display against the Eels, setting up a try before finding the tryline himself in arguably his best performance of the season so far.
The breakthrough win came after a string of close losses to start the year.
“When I say I take the performances personally, there’s a couple of close games there where we didn’t get a result,” he said.
“It came down to a field goal against (St George Illawarra), and there was a Penrith game which was a tight game, and a Canberra game too.
“Me at my best, I like to think I can come up with something to get us over the line there and that disappoints me.”
The admission from Pearce also comes as he attempts the balance of juggling his responsibilities as captain with producing in the halves.
This is the first year the 30-year-old has shouldered the role by himself, having co-captained with Jamie Buhrer last season.
“I feel like at the start of the year maybe with a new side, I was worrying too much about the side and sacrificed my own running game a little bit,” he said.
“As a captain, I know what my strengths are.
“I’ve got to keep leading as well as I can and doing my part there, that’s what my goal is this year, to be the best captain I can be for this club.”
© AAP
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