Why Pearce is a Blues leader in the making
Roy Masters | July 4, 2008
NSW captain Danny Buderus made special mention of one player when he accepted the Blues' man-of-the-match award at the team's Sydney hotel - halfback Mitchell Pearce.
"In years to come, I'll be able to say I played my last Origin game with Mitchell Pearce," Buderus told the gathering of teammates, coaches and parents.
Pearce's coach at the Roosters, Brad Fittler, was also lavish in his praise of the No.7, who made his Origin debut in the decider, won by Queensland on Wednesday night. "I thought he was great," Fittler enthused. "He sat a few big blokes on their bums and got involved from the start."
To most observers, Pearce's performance didn't warrant poring through a Roget's in search of fresh superlatives. But Buderus and Fittler are No.1 and No.2 respectively as the men who have played the most Origin games as captain of NSW.
They know the special ingredients in the make-up of a long-term Origin player. Stardom in Origin football, particularly in the halves, usually doesn't come ready-made. It cooks slow. Wally Lewis, the Queensland five-eighth, is probably the only half to make an instant impact at this level. Pearce's decision-making at Origin level needs the kind of nurturing that can come only with more games.
Origin III was rare in the sense that the Blues were in control of the ruck for most of the game, yet still lost. Modern coaches have been saying for years, "If you win the wrestle, you win the match", but the Blues were unable to capitalise on that domination because their halves were indecisive.
Pearce did not exploit tired Maroons forwards around the ruck and five-eighth Braith Anasta demonstrated yet again that the NSW selectors are right when they accuse him of taking poor options.
The Blues were instructed not to kick high to the wing of tall Maroons winger Israel Folau, yet most of Anasta's kicks went in that direction. Folau scored two tries.
How do you defend against a man with spring-loaded feet and hands as big as oven mitts? Go to Croatia or where they breed two-metre-tall athletes, or cut Folau's opportunities by kicking away from him?
NSW coach Craig Bellamy was also entitled to be angry about Queensland's third try. For eight weeks, the Blues coaching staff had hectored the players about Johnathan Thurston's dummies. "Don't fall for his show and go," they yelled at every training session. Yet Thurston sold a standard dummy to NSW prop Brett White and streaked down the blind side with fullback Billy Slater in support.
It wasn't exclusively White's fault, as he was defending a wide corridor and could have used the assistance of forward Paul Gallen. Gallen's ill-discipline was also very costly. Referee Tony Archer warned him for holding down the ball-carrier in the first half: "Move, mate. That's two [tackles] in a row. You're trying to slow it up."
In the second half, Archer had no alternative but to punish him with a penalty that drew the game level at 10-10. Gallen struck Thurston so late, the ball he kicked was already in the hands of a NSW player.
Thurston has taken time to develop into Queensland's top halfback. Evidence of his maturity came in the way he took control when Scott Prince was forced from the field with a broken arm.
While some argued Prince's selection would free Thurston of the demands of organising his team and allow him to work his individual magic, the reality is he did both when his No.7 was injured. In essence, Thurston stepped up, while Anasta did not.
Bellamy's tactic of starting with benchman Kurt Gidley as fullback was successful to the extent the Blues' coaching staff couldn't replace him. Nominated fullback Brett Stewart came on too late for some fans, particularly Manly ones, but Gidley was so involved in the play, he became indispensable.
Bellamy's decision to use Willie Mason as an impact player was justified by the statistics. Mason, with 124 metres, was the only NSW forward to make over 100m carrying the ball, compared to three Queensland forwards - Steve Price (120m), Petero Civoniceva (109m) and Nate Myles (127m).
Still, it is in the backs where Queensland enjoys a superiority, seemingly for years to come. NSW selectors are entitled to ask: "How many of the Blues backs would make the Maroons backline?"
Answer: only Mark Gasnier, provided he is fit.
"What about Pearce?" was the instant response of Blues sponsor, Wizard's Mark Bouris, when the question was put to him. Maybe you'd expect that of a Rooster booster but it echoed the praise expressed by Buderus and Fittler.
The Blues must also find a captain to replace Buderus. In the long term, it may be Pearce, possibly with Origin I halfback, Peter Wallace, as his five-eighth.
Buderus's praise brings to mind the comment of the three-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick when asked about his quarterback, Tom Brady: "It's hard to sum up his natural leadership, but he's got it. It's like pornography - even if you can't define it, you know it when you see it."
