If reports of his selection are correct, Mitchell Pearce’s State of Origin return is already looking dicey due to a curious halves pairing.
Fox Sports’ James Hooper was first on the scene on Thursday night, first saying that Pearce would be selected in the halves with Canberra’s Jack Wighton. He later clarified that Wighton would retain his utility role and Pearce would be the halfback, while Nathan Cleary would move across to five-eighth.
That gives NSW two controlling halfbacks.
“It’s absolutely crazy,” former Blues rake Michael Ennis said during Fox Sports’ post-match coverage of Thursday night footy.
“If Mitchell is in the side I have no problem with that. I think he completely deserves his opportunity.
“He is the form halfback for NSW, but the way he is playing he needs to play that same way for NSW, which is on the ball.
“Where does Nathan Cleary go when that happens? Isn’t that his job? He’s a halfback.”
“No, if we are going to play Mitchell Pearce we need someone who is a runner.
“That has either got to be for me Jack Wighton or someone who has played the runner outside Pearce and that is James Maloney, who handles the big stage.
“It cannot be Pearce and Nathan Cleary. They are both halfbacks - we cannot play left and right and win this game.”
Freddy reveals the conversation he had with Mitchell Pearce about an Origin call up.
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Before the news broke, Matty Johns was of similar mind on playing two halfbacks – each controlling a side of the field - on his wildly popular podcast, The Matty Johns Podcast.
“The five-five split is restrictive,” Johns said. “It’s restrictive because there’s no continuity in a set of six. At times when you hit an edge and then you link and hit the other edge, because you’re playing with two halfbacks, you’re playing reset football.
“Teams defend the five-five really well. They love it.”
Johns would have Pearce at halfback, partnered with ball-runner and Origin I debutant Cody Walker at five-eighth.
“The beauty with Mitchell at the moment at Newcastle is that he’s playing full field. He’s playing both sides of the ruck, his six plays second fiddle and reacts off what Mitchell does.”
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown took it a step further, imploring Blues selectors not to give Pearce the nod if the Knights playmaker isn't given complete control.
“If they want a dominate half, I would suggest that Pearcey would be the person you’d want — but only if you let him be a dominant half,” Brown said after the Knights’ win over South Sydney last Friday.
“I look at Mitch as a player who has to do play on play. If your style of footy is go and stand on one side of the field and not double up on plays, they may as well let Pearcey sit in the lounge room.
“If they want a partner who is going to dominate the ball and then say ‘feed Cody Walker’, I’d say Pearcey’s your man.”
Broncos prop Matt Lodge will also receive an Origin berth per Hooper's mail, with the big man to slide into the team to cover the injured David Klemmer.
"Lodge will replace Klemmer and be the Blues' play one carry prop," Hooper said.
The Blues will name their squad for the game two after the NRL round concludes on Sunday.
