Pearce to rake...

[Bansai Pipeline]

I've read loads of times on here how some of you think Pearce is a natural hooker. I never really agreed until watching him in Game 2 of Origin last night.

Like his old man, I reckon he's 70 percent toiler and 30 per cent naturally talented footballer.

The strengths of his game are his defence and taking the line. Classic rake duties.

Where he struggles is leading the team around and, I think, his long kicking game.

Half and hooker are pretty much the same thing these days, but there are subtle differences.

I think he'll be a better 9 than a 7.

[Guest]

Have been saying the same on the Wall for 12 months...there is a vast gap between the half kicking game, organisation and general play of Pearce and Cronk, and that was evident last night for all to see.

[elo]

He was standing very flat last night for his kicking which made him an easy target for Queensland, that's how Ricky likes his kickers though. Pearce isn't sharp enough to play 9, he's an organizing, grinding half-back still growing into the roll at the tender age of 23.

[John Corey]

I've read loads of times on here how some of you think Pearce is a natural hooker. I never really agreed until watching him in Game 2 of Origin last night.

Like his old man, I reckon he's 70 percent toiler and 30 per cent naturally talented footballer.

The strengths of his game are his defence and taking the line. Classic rake duties.

Where he struggles is leading the team around and, I think, his long kicking game.

Half and hooker are pretty much the same thing these days, but there are subtle differences.

I think he'll be a better 9 than a 7.

I agree 100%. Pearce will never be a great halfback IMO. What you see now in regards to ability, is where he will be in 5 years time. Thats not to say I think he is a bad player. I dont. I think he is a decent halfback who is taking advantage of the fact that NSW do not have anything better to go with. I have never thought he has had a good kicking game, including the fact that he can rarely get a repeat set with a grubber into the in goal. They usualy go dead. I think he also struggles with options in attack, particularly when 20 out from the opposition line. There was a kick he did last night on tackle 3, 20 metres out from his own line which just made absolutely no sense. Slater ended up with it on halfway. I could see that Stuart had told them to kick early but surely not 20m out on tackle 3.
I think Cronk is a much more intelligent and creative player than Pearce.

I think he would be a better 9 than 7 as well but I dont think its going to happen. And I dont see what other option we have either.

[trewhella]

In a word ........no

[Guest]

Neg

[mightyrooster]

I agree 100%. Pearce will never be a great halfback IMO. What you see now in regards to ability, is where he will be in 5 years time. Thats not to say I think he is a bad player. I dont. I think he is a decent halfback who is taking advantage of the fact that NSW do not have anything better to go with. I have never thought he has had a good kicking game, including the fact that he can rarely get a repeat set with a grubber into the in goal. They usualy go dead. I think he also struggles with options in attack, particularly when 20 out from the opposition line. There was a kick he did last night on tackle 3, 20 metres out from his own line which just made absolutely no sense. Slater ended up with it on halfway. I could see that Stuart had told them to kick early but surely not 20m out on tackle 3.
I think Cronk is a much more intelligent and creative player than Pearce.

I think he would be a better 9 than 7 as well but I dont think its going to happen. And I dont see what other option we have either.

Yes it seems that even with a different coach in charge (Stuart), Pearce still can't get a repeat set, still resorts to bombs to the outside backs and refuses to grubber kick into the corners. Even in the last 3 minutes when he should have been grubbing the ball into the corners trying to get a repeat set he resorted to a bomb and turned possession over to QLD easily. Obviously Stiuart emplys the same kicking game plan as Smith and Pearce just follows it to a tee

[Guest]

I agree 100%. Pearce will never be a great halfback IMO. What you see now in regards to ability, is where he will be in 5 years time. Thats not to say I think he is a bad player. I dont. I think he is a decent halfback who is taking advantage of the fact that NSW do not have anything better to go with. I have never thought he has had a good kicking game, including the fact that he can rarely get a repeat set with a grubber into the in goal. They usualy go dead. I think he also struggles with options in attack, particularly when 20 out from the opposition line. There was a kick he did last night on tackle 3, 20 metres out from his own line which just made absolutely no sense. Slater ended up with it on halfway. I could see that Stuart had told them to kick early but surely not 20m out on tackle 3.
I think Cronk is a much more intelligent and creative player than Pearce.

I think he would be a better 9 than 7 as well but I dont think its going to happen. And I dont see what other option we have either.

Halfbacks continue to improve over time - even the really good ones like Johns only really came into their own in the second half of their career. Pearce will be the same. He is not a flashy super creative player so we need to have a 5/8 that can do that stuff but he is a quality halfback.

Also important not to forget that the grubber that got Cronk sin-binned was Pearce and was just about perfect.

[Guest]

Halfbacks continue to improve over time - even the really good ones like Johns only really came into their own in the second half of their career. Pearce will be the same. He is not a flashy super creative player so we need to have a 5/8 that can do that stuff but he is a quality halfback.

Also important not to forget that the grubber that got Cronk sin-binned was Pearce and was just about perfect.

Yep, it kicked started everything and actually got carney out of his shell. Kicking game at the end was terrible, still wasn't an overall bad performance.

[mightyrooster]

Halfbacks continue to improve over time - even the really good ones like Johns only really came into their own in the second half of their career. Pearce will be the same. He is not a flashy super creative player so we need to have a 5/8 that can do that stuff but he is a quality halfback.

Also important not to forget that the grubber that got Cronk sin-binned was Pearce and was just about perfect.

I do agree with this BTW. I think Pearce will improve over time and we just need to show patience, which it would seem is a very rare commodity amongst many chookpenners at the moment. The poor guy is our only creative option at the moment and he's still learning his trade. Yes he's been around a long time but in all reality he was thrust into first grade way too young.

[Guest]

Cronk is 28 yrs,,,where was cronk at 22yrs old & did cronk debut as a 17yr old

[Guest]

Cronk is 28 yrs,,,where was cronk at 22yrs old & did cronk debut as a 17yr old

Not only that, he is surrounded by arguably the best players in smith and slater

[The Brain]

In a word ........no

smart answer
Any decent half back can be a good hooker
If their looking at Pearce's game last night it was stifled by Farrah's obsession with the ball .Farrah was great but over played his hand .The backs came to life when Farrah kept out of it for 10 minutes and pearce and Carney did there thing -two tries and almost another be it they were one man down.
Cronk talk well he took 6 years in first grade before he even came on to his own playing second fiddle to others in his side.
We just have slack non committed side at the moment its more of the same that we have been last 7 years .
You want Pearce to play great ? then tell the forwards to not miss tackle and make good yards instead of average and would help if he had backs that could play not even Andrew Johns could ignite this rabble.

[Bansai Pipeline]

Also important not to forget that the grubber that got Cronk sin-binned was Pearce and was just about perfect.

Agree. But hookers need those kicks in their games too.

Look at Cameron Smith's arsenal.

[Guest]

Like many things, I'll reserve my judgement for when Maloney Comes.

Have to agree with Brain on Farrah though. Brilliant player playing outside of himself.