Mitchell Pearce

[Valheru]

Maloney should've been the Clive Churchill medalist that day

Disagree.

Shouldn't have been pearce either.

SBW, friend, the underrated sam moa, tupou and guerra (the good 2013 version) were better than maloney that day.

 

[adamkungl]

Disagree.

Shouldn't have been pearce either.

SBW, friend, the underrated sam moa, tupou and guerra (the good 2013 version) were better than maloney that day.

Yeah. Maloney was good but if I recall neither Roosters halves were the stars of the show, just played their part in getting good ball to better players. DCE was Manly's best player but giving the CC medal to losing teams is f**king aids

 

[Valheru]

You mean like Maloneys 2 line breaks to Pearces none. He ran for twice as many metres but only made one more run. 1 offload to Pearces none.

Add to the above the fact that Pearce made 2 very, very poor grabber kick choices in the first half

But hey, they are only stats in the end. Maloney looked far more involved and composed in the 1st 50. If we are fair dinkum too, he looked far more dangerous

Yes exactly like that. The 2 line breaks i mentioned, both assisted but full credit to him, he still made the breaks (cant remember if both were in the first 50 though?). I would always expect maloney to have more run metres as that is his strength and role.

The 2 grubber kicks we have gone through ad nauseum and i agree they were poor. That is the only aspect of his performance that warranted criticism. Maloney did have 1 grubber of his own that was very poor and was a massive danger of resulting in a long range play but no one seems to want to mention that.

Not sure how you can possibly conclude maloney was more involved im the first 50. Everyone is applauding (rightly) peats for his performance, particularly his tracker stats but the only man on the field who covered more distance in the first half was Pearce, his enthusiasm in the kick chase during the first half arm wrestle being a prime example.

That just leaves "he looked more dangerous". I don't think either looked dangerous in what was a first half arm wrestle to be honest.

 

[Caped Crusader]

You're not convincing anyone m8

 

[OldPanther]

Lol this is such a stupid pointless comparison.
Maloney doesn't have anywhere near the platform to play without Pearce's influence. The difference was noticeable when Hastings was forced to step up in 2015.

Also see Keary the last 2 weeks without Pearce. Far less effective attack.

This is so far from true. Maloney has gone from club to club making those teams infinitely better.

 

[adamkungl]

This is so far from true. Maloney has gone from club to club making those teams infinitely better.

I didn't mean specifically Pearce, but a good half.
My point was that using Maloney's performance in a GF to bag Pearce is nonsense. Quite simply, if Pearce played poorly Maloney would have been up shit creek too. They complemented each other perfectly.

 

[Tweed Titan]

Lol this is such a stupid pointless comparison.
Maloney doesn't have anywhere near the platform to play without Pearce's influence

Maloney seemed to do OK at the Sharks and Warriors without Pearce's steadying influence.

Or are you saying Chad Townsend is as good as Pearce? After all they won a comp together too. His platform to play seems to be just the same every where else he's played at.

 

[McLovin]

Owned

 

[BennyV]

Maloney is less rocks and more diamonds. He will miss tackles but create tries.

Pearce's stats were adequate, but he created nothing.

You need a Maloney to win a game.

Now that's crazy talk!

Did you see Pearces inside ball for Fifita that led to the Maloney try? Y'know, the pass that literally any halfback in the NRL, NYC or any age group above u12s could have pulled of? Attacking genius from Pearce, allowing Fifita to trample over the top of several QLD players before putting Maloney over. The guy will create a dynasty throwing regulation passes like that one, it was just THAT impressive!

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Now that's crazy talk!

Did you see Pearces inside ball for Fifita that led to the Maloney try? Y'know, the pass that literally any halfback in the NRL, NYC or any age group above u12s could have pulled of? Attacking genius from Pearce, allowing Fifita to trample over the top of several QLD players before putting Maloney over. The guy will create a dynasty throwing regulation passes like that one, it was just THAT impressive!

Don't you know? If Pearce passes you the ball it's a given that you bust through 3 tackles and pop an offload otherwise it's your fault.

 

[RecordBreakingMaroons.]

The best part is: He'll be back in the Blues jersey in 2018. Woohoo.

 

[OldPanther]

There's Clearly a better option out there.

 

[Captain Apollo]

There's Clearly a better option out there.

Yes, and I'm not knocking him by saying this, is 2018 too early for Cleary for State of Origin? NSW have burned through a lot of halves by throwing them in way too young, before they were ready, which has either stunted a player's growth or killed their career all together. I can understand Phil Gould's comments earlier in the season about him wanting to keep him out of the NSW jersey for another year or two.

 

[OldPanther]

Yes, and I'm not knocking him by saying this, is 2018 too early for Cleary for State of Origin? NSW have burned through a lot of halves by throwing them in way too young, before they were ready, which has either stunted a player's growth or killed their career all together. I can understand Phil Gould's comments earlier in the season about him wanting to keep him out of the NSW jersey for another year or two.

It's a fair concern. He could go either way. People are just looking at how he has gone through the grades and never changed his game or looked out of place and are imagining it would be the same with origin.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Who has the gif of him blowing that overlap?

 

[SBD82]

Yes, and I'm not knocking him by saying this, is 2018 too early for Cleary for State of Origin? NSW have burned through a lot of halves by throwing them in way too young, before they were ready, which has either stunted a player's growth or killed their career all together. I can understand Phil Gould's comments earlier in the season about him wanting to keep him out of the NSW jersey for another year or two.

This is probably the only decent argument for Cleary not replacing Pearce.

Selfishly, I don't care. I think we need a change, and I'd be willing to risk Clearys development.

I also think that it's not as big a risk as it may seem. What I find most impressive about Cleary is that he seems eminently level headed. For a young man he seems to have a great grasp of his own ability, and his role in a side. He also has the quality that makes the good halfs standout- he seems to have time to do what he is trying to do.

He reminds me a lot of his father, I think he possesses similar qualities. ie determination and resolve.

 

[OldPanther]

What I find most impressive about Cleary is that he seemseminentlylevel headed. For a young man he seems to have a great grasp of his own ability,and his role in a side.

This is why people are starting to point to him for origin. He's done it every time he's advanced to the next level so far. This year he has also taken Penrith to within a chance of top 4 while every game has been a must win pressure game for their season. Yet he still just comes out and does his job.

 

[Captain Apollo]

This is probably the only decent argument for Cleary not replacing Pearce.

Selfishly, I don't care. I think we need a change, and I'd be willing to risk Clearys development.

I also think that it's not as big a risk as it may seem. What I find most impressive about Cleary is that he seems eminently level headed. For a young man he seems to have a great grasp of his own ability, and his role in a side. He also has the quality that makes the good halfs standout- he seems to have time to do what he is trying to do.

He reminds me a lot of his father, I think he possesses similar qualities. ie determination and resolve.

I'm neither for or against Pearce. It is just NSW have a habit of throwing young halves in because "they need someone new" and all it does is stuff the player up. In fact I think Pearce was thrown into the Origin cauldron way before he was ready, and that hurt him more than helped him.

Cleary displays maturity and calmness on the field, but doing so on a team where (at the moment) there is little pressure on him or expectation. Compared to being in State of Origin with enormous pressure and expectation on him, are two different things. If he does not perform to levels expected do we then toss him on the scrap heap as has happened to many a halfback since the Andrew Johns days?

I'd rather not use Cleary in Origin in 2018 unless every other option is out injured. I think rushing him in would merely hurt his development long term.

 

[SBD82]

I'm neither for or against Pearce. It is just NSW have a habit of throwing young halves in because "they need someone new" and all it does is stuff the player up. In fact I think Pearce was thrown into the Origin cauldron way before he was ready, and that hurt him more than helped him.

Cleary displays maturity and calmness on the field, but doing so on a team where (at the moment) there is little pressure on him or expectation. Compared to being in State of Origin with enormous pressure and expectation on him, are two different things. If he does not perform to levels expected do we then toss him on the scrap heap as has happened to many a halfback since the Andrew Johns days?

I'd rather not use Cleary in Origin in 2018 unless every other option is out injured. I think rushing him in would merely hurt his development long term.

It's a very valid point that you make.

I don't agree, I think that Cleary has shown enough maturity to demonstrate that he's ready. My judgement is probably clouded by a bit of desperation, but in spite of that I still think he'd do well.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Wayne Pearce is a NSW legend, and is the only man to captain and coach the blues to a clean sweep. He may also be a Queensland legend because he didn't use a condom.