Mitchell Pearce

[carcharias]

That kick he put through that went nowhere was a tough one.
He got a shit ball and then was in a shit position to kick
He got hit before he had a chance to have a look.

 

[OldPanther]

Great tight game until Myth Piss got injured. Once that handicap was taken off the blues ran riot.

Myth should stick to the roosters who award and applaud mediocrity.

The problem is you'd need someone who's played next to Maloney at that level, has a 100% win rate as a duo has a good passing game, can use a grubber and has similar try involvement stats for regular club games to Pearce/Maloney this year. I just can't think of anyone who matches that.

On a definitely unrelated note I look forward to seeing how Panthers new look spine goes this week

 

[King hit]

NSW win by 24 points and people will still bag him

FML

 

[rabbitohs95]

I'm not sure we looked better because of that. We didn't look any worse though. Not exactly a ringing endorsement lol.

True that but I guess it felt like we were playing a little more free flowing. Probably because we had broken down QLD's defence I suppose.

 

[grouch]

This is a strange flavour of salt. Pink Himalayan maybe?

You love the word "salt" don't you. It's almost as embarrassing as Pearce's attacking kicks.

 

[BennyV]

Pearce 1
Cronk 0

Do you even know how scoring works?!

 

[Valheru]

You love the word "salt" don't you.

Yes, i do. It is especially tasty with a bit of bitterness.

 

[SBD82]

Pearce 1
Cronk 0

Ha. Both sides of this argument are starting to make some outrageous claims, and I know you're just caught up in the moment. But cmon tommy.

That isn't the score.

 

[Life's Good]

Said it in the game day thread, just needs to get the ball to our more talented players and not consistently f**k up and he will do. His best game, 5/10.

This about sums it up. Pearce just needs to provide good quality ball to the outside backs, direct the forwards in defence, tackle his ar*e off and get the ball to Maloney. He would do well to watch a Dragons game and see the role McCrone plays with Widdop. Pearce has a better pedigree than McCrone but the essence of his game should be the same.

 

[Mr Saab]

Pearce was solid without being good. Maloney completely outshined him.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

James Maloney would not have shined as much without the help he got from the fabulous Mitchell Pearce. Moreover Mitchell was in position to take the pass from James "the Rooster" Tedesco, and score the crucial 2nd NSW try. Moreover Mitchell defended like a demon.

So Mitchell will be back for Game 2. Thank heavens for Mitchell Pearce.

 

[OldPanther]

James Maloney would not have shined as much without the help he got from the fabulous Mitchell Pearce. Moreover Mitchell was in position to take the pass from James "the Rooster" Tedesco, and score the crucial 2nd NSW try. Moreover Mitchell defended like a demon.

So Mitchell will be back for Game 2. Thank heavens for Mitchell Pearce.

He will be back in for game 2 and I really don't mind but you are going too far. Maloney played well for 80. With and without Pearce. Same as at club level.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

I don't know about that, but your nan certainly would have been more effective defending at fullback than Darius

You don't know my nan. She prefers running on the fringes and targeting halfbacks.

 

[McNulty]

Rooster fans celebrating the inside ball to Fifita as a try assist

 

[chrisD]

Pearce was the best half on the field for the 50 he played. He was in f**king everything and those two fluffed kicks were his only blemishes. Maloney f**ked two attacking kicks when we were on top too and another one after Pearce was off.

He got the ball where and when it was needed without fail. The bomb Gagai f**ked up and Hayne had on his finger tips was Pearce's. The break Hayne set Morris up for was off Pearce switching the play, then he got down there to be dummy half and it all should have ended with Teddy scoring. He handled Milford and put the best hit of the night on him.

The only real problem was half the quality ball he distributed went to Dugan, and Dugan was the real myth this game. Had it been Jennings, Walker, Bird or even Roberts out there it'd have been a carve up.

 

[OldPanther]

Pearce was the best half on the field for the 50 he played. He was in f**king everything and those two fluffed kicks were his only blemishes. Maloney f**ked two attacking kicks when we were on top too and another one after Pearce was off.

He got the ball where and when it was needed without fail. The bomb Gagai f**ked up and Hayne had on his finger tips was Pearce's. The break Hayne set Morris up for was off Pearce switching the play, then he got down there to be dummy half and it all should have ended with Teddy scoring. He handled Milford and put the best hit of the night on him.

The only real problem was half the quality ball he distributed went to Dugan, and Dugan was the real myth this game. Had it been Jennings, Walker, Bird or even Roberts out there it'd have been a carve up.

I agree about the Dugan part. Loz just said on 360 he was not meant to play the full 80 as he was coming back from injury and was meant to come off for Bird but Pearce got concussed and Bird had to go to the halves.

 

[OldPanther]

An interesting analysis of Pearce's kicking game from an r/nrl commen that made me think:

"It was complete control, I don't understand how people can say it was bad or easy done. He was putting it into the same little red zone in the corner from everywhere. He didn't need to find grass, he needed to find his spot and keep them there. With the ball in that corner, the only people hitting it up are the backs, who are now getting exhausted and sloppy defensively from the extra work. Cronk cant organise anything from there, Smith can't do anything because it's scoots and 1 outs and every kick going to wind up giving Tedesco plenty of room to get back to halfway. It was complete control."

 

[Knightmare]

I'd agree with that. I've been openly critical of Pearce up until now, but on Wednesday night I thought the same thing- that he was constantly targeting Oates' corner, no more than 20 metres out from their line and doing it to keep Qld pinned up in that section of the field. If NSW give away a penalty from the ensuring set of 6 by Qld, chances are they won't be close to defending their own line.

Pearce was perfectly fine playing to a structure that'd obviously been rehearsed all week. He struggles with those 'ad-lib' plays that Cronk or JT do so well at. It's like he's made his mind up two tackles out what kick he's going to put up- and sticks with it even if, when it gets to the 5th tackle, there's an overlap he could capitalise on or there's too many Maroons defenders bunched up in his kicking range who can take the grubber on the full (e.g Gagai).

 

[DJShaksta]

An interesting analysis of Pearce's kicking game from an r/nrl commen that made me think:

"It was complete control, I don't understand how people can say it was bad or easy done. He was putting it into the same little red zone in the corner from everywhere. He didn't need to find grass, he needed to find his spot and keep them there. With the ball in that corner, the only people hitting it up are the backs, who are now getting exhausted and sloppy defensively from the extra work. Cronk cant organise anything from there, Smith can't do anything because it's scoots and 1 outs and every kick going to wind up giving Tedesco plenty of room to get back to halfway. It was complete control."

What about his short kicking game?
Any forces dropouts? Nope
7 tackle sets? Yep
Ruined another overlap with a fluffed kick into the opposition's legs? Yep

He should not kick the ball in attacking field position.

 

[OldPanther]

What about his short kicking game?
Any forces dropouts? Nope
7 tackle sets? Yep
Ruined another overlap with a fluffed kick into the opposition's legs? Yep

He should not kick the ball in attacking field position.

Yeah we have people who do it better.