It's time for the NSW Blues to sack Mitchell Pearce and look for a new halfback
POSITIONS vacant. The NSW State of Origin team is seeking to employ a new halfback.
The successful applicant must be reliable and have the ability to work under extreme pressure.
Applicants must also possess exceptional organisational skills. Experience is preferred but not a necessity.
Duties include putting a stop to eight miserable years of sporting pain.
Please send full resume to Laurie Daley, c/o NSWRL, Driver Ave, Moore Park, NSW, 2021.
And now back to last nights game.
Mitchell Pearce is a wonderful competitor with a heart as big as his dads, the former Blues and Balmain legend Wayne Pearce.
No-one tries harder and he again gave it absolutely everything last night.
But at Origin level he falls a fraction short in overall class.
Pearce went into last nights match knowing he need to produce the game of his life to survive. And he didnt.
There were just too many errors.
One of his kicks was charged down midway through the second-half when the Blues were trying to get clear from their own territory on the final tackle.
A few plays later and Justin Hodges was over for the Maroons. It was the match-deciding try.
Five minutes earlier the Blues were on the attack, just 20 metres out, desperately needing the try to equalise.
The Roosters half-back needed to drill the ball into the in-goal for a repeat set or even kick to the corner for his winger.
He mis-kicked it, the Maroons regathered, and were off the hook.
Pearce a great player and club level and rarely makes mistakes.
He is second only to Thurston for engineering tries inside the opposition 20.
But it just wasnt his night.
Just two minutes into the first half he knocked on early in the tackle count.
This great Queensland side is hard enough to beat without being gifted possession.
Even when there were just a few minutes to go and the game was still alive, he threw a terrible pass to Josh Dugan.
Pearce has had five seasons to prove himself at this level.
Next year it will be someone elses turn, most probably South Sydneys book young halfback
Adam Reynolds.
Hes got a stronger kicking game and has learnt to run the football at the Rabbitohs this year.
Laurie Daley had spoken for two weeks about the importance of a positive start but the Maroons took advantage of some awful Blues defence to open the scoring in the 10th minute.
Johnathan Thurston has scored few softer tries in his career, stepping and weaving his way around James Tamou and Robbie Farah.
At least the Blues werent blown away like they were in Brisbane.
A couple of minutes later Thurston took it to 8-nil when James Maloney was penalised for a late tackle on Cooper Cronk.
But from that point the Blues had the better of the first half. They clawed back with a try to James McManus in the 26th minute.
It was beautifully set-up by Josh Morris who sucked in three defenders to give the Newcastle winger the space.
Enjoying a huge territory and possession advantage, the Blues could have scored on another two occasions. They had 57 per cent of the ball.
Poor options and poor handing let them down.
Andrew Fifita didnt come on until the 20th minute but had racked up nearly 80 metres by half-time.
But brute strength and size alone wasnt going to crack open the Queensland line.
Pearce tried hard and ran himself a couple of times but couldnt find holes.
The Blues needed to score first in the second-half.
Fifita gave them every hope with a strong surge and a magnificent pass to put Josh Dugan into the clear but the ball came loose.
Chances like that one have to be taken when youre playing against as great as Queenslands.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/its-time-for-the-nsw-blues-to-sack-mitchell-pearce-and-look-for-a-new-halfback/story-fndv2twz-1226681029301
