The Curious Case Of Mitchell Pearce

[Guest]

The most worrying sign for me atm is lack of creativity from Pearce ... We had alot of good ball in great field position and did sweet FA with it

I'll be the first to admit Pearce gives it his all week in week out more than all the others... But halfbacks need to be able to create try scoring opportunities we had ample ball in great field position and the result was Finch...

For me this is the most worrying sign as Pearce will be our longterm halfback, hes still young but hes had had fair while in FG to 'develop'... His passing and long kicking game is strong, but creativity is ????

We should have at least scored 2 tries in the first half with all that ball apart from Carneys chance, if our attack was up to scratch we would have won... We gifted them several tries, we fix those crucial errors at fix our attack we could have easily won for mine

[Spanner in the works]

He looks to be trying too hard and thinking too much in my opinion. I remember a pass Pearce threw last year that I'm pretty sure Joey blew his load over. Watching him then he didn't look to be trying too hard. He's done stuff like that multiple times where he has looked super relaxed and like he wasn't thinking too much about it. I'd really like to see Friend take some of the pressure off him actually. Just some kicking out of dummy half, the occasional run and some play making chucked in for good measure.

[stephenj]

jake came close to a 40/20 at one stage, so he is trying to take some slack

[Chook Norris]

Too much thinking not enough execution, and he himself has admitted it.
Also comes down to the coaching. Smith needs to implement more attacking structures giving Pearce more options with decoy runners and players running specific lines. At the moment he looks clueless in attack and is simply handing it to the player next to him or is throwing an inside ball. He needs to run to the line more, and he and the rest of the team need to stand deeper

[crikey chris]

He needs a proper 5/8

[Guest]

What if this is the answer?

1 Linnett/Perrett (when healthy)
2 JCrew Carney/Linnett
3 Pearce
4 BJ
5 SKD
6 Friend
7 Carney

Before I get pilloried, I think Skd would cut it as winger as he swaps with B.J. a lot anyway. And I'll state again, Pearce will be a good defensive centre because he's been shown to have little or nothing in the way of halfback skills.

[Guest]

What if this is the answer?

1 Linnett/Perrett (when healthy)
2 JCrew Carney/Linnett
3 Pearce
4 BJ
5 SKD
6 Friend
7 Carney

Before I get pilloried, I think Skd would cut it as winger as he swaps with B.J. a lot anyway. And I'll state again, Pearce will be a good defensive centre because he's been shown to have little or nothing in the way of halfback skills.

You deserve to get pilloried for that! Whilst Pearce can tackle he displays no other traits of being a top centre. Probably the funniest thing I have heard all week

[Guest]

Too much thinking not enough execution, and he himself has admitted it.
Also comes down to the coaching. Smith needs to implement more attacking structures giving Pearce more options with decoy runners and players running specific lines. At the moment he looks clueless in attack and is simply handing it to the player next to him or is throwing an inside ball. He needs to run to the line more, and he and the rest of the team need to stand deeper

This times 1000.

The Dragons attack is the most structured in the comp, but it works nearly every time.

We have no decoys, no structured second man plays, no players hitting the line from depth - it is simply ad-lib, and I think it's fairly obvious that doesn't suit Pearce.

I'm sick of watching SKD or Leilua catch a Pearce pass, stop, jig, and then change direction, running across field back towards the opposite side. . It fools no opposition defence, let alone St. George - they just move up as a line, and watch and wait. I wish our three-quarters would hit Pearce's passes from depth at speed, and straighten, using their size and strength.

FFS, Masoe breaks a tackle every time he touches the ball, and drives forward at least a couple of metres (same with Kennedy) - so why don't we use them as short option runners close to the line?

I really don't know what Smith is doing at the moment.

[Guest]

What if this is the answer?

1 Linnett/Perrett (when healthy)
2 JCrew Carney/Linnett
3 Pearce
4 BJ
5 SKD
6 Friend
7 Carney

Before I get pilloried, I think Skd would cut it as winger as he swaps with B.J. a lot anyway. And I'll state again, Pearce will be a good defensive centre because he's been shown to have little or nothing in the way of halfback skills.

Pierce at hooker?

[Guest]

Pearce is a good halfback. But the team makes the halfback look good. It's very difficult to ball play, when there are no options outside him. He needs more support through decoy runners, second phase play, angled runs etc. He isn't the most creative halfback (which is why the Pearce/Carney combination compliments eachother so well), but he certainly has the talent. Just lacking the support atm

[elo]

He looked primed for a massive season after the Round 1 domination too, had the ball on a string

Where's our Mitchell gone?

[Guest]

Too much thinking not enough execution, and he himself has admitted it.
Also comes down to the coaching. Smith needs to implement more attacking structures giving Pearce more options with decoy runners and players running specific lines. At the moment he looks clueless in attack and is simply handing it to the player next to him or is throwing an inside ball. He needs to run to the line more, and he and the rest of the team need to stand deeper

I think you've nailed it.

We looked dreadful attacking the Dragons line. Clueless.

It is as if Smiths whole attacking game plan revolved around Carney and he hasn't had time to work out a new structure without him.

[Guest]

Anyone giving up on Pearce is foolish.

I agree his development has been slow. IMO he was rushed into first grade too soon at 17. He never got the chance to get a few kills under his belt in the lower grades.

He was thrown into the deep end as a kid in some shit teams with poor coaches. It was the wrong thing to do.

I really like the way Manly handled both Hodgkinson and Cherry-Evans. They were both given full seasons in the QLD cup. They don't have anywhere near what Pearce has but they know how to get their team around the field.

Pearce has all the physical skills needed to be a good halfback but he is still learning the position.

I know he has played 100 games and a few Origins but he is still only 22, not many halves are great at that age.

He will come good.

[Guest]

Anyone giving up on Pearce is foolish.

I agree his development has been slow. IMO he was rushed into first grade too soon at 17. He never got the chance to get a few kills under his belt in the lower grades.

He was thrown into the deep end as a kid in some shit teams with poor coaches. It was the wrong thing to do.

I really like the way Manly handled both Hodgkinson and Cherry-Evans. They were both given full seasons in the QLD cup. They don't have anywhere near what Pearce has but they know how to get their team around the field.

Pearce has all the physical skills needed to be a good halfback but he is still learning the position.

I know he has played 100 games and a few Origins but he is still only 22, not many halves are great at that age.

He will come good.

Spot on Fitz. I don't know what happened after round one when without Carney Pearce had runners angling back across behind the ruck, he had options and looked good. Not sure why that stopped.

Chook.

[Vasco]

Smith's coaching style has rarely, if ever, relied on a single player.

You look at all the teams he has coached. Not one has had a standout player like Johns, Fittler, Lockyear etc.

Last year he had one. Carney was the difference between coming 12th and 6th in the minor premiership.

He got us going in the semi against the Tigers with a chip and chase and then a break to put Pearce over. We were dead and buried before that.

Smith's teams always play with skill and guile. I am very surprised at our lack of punch, even without Carney.

Perhaps we must accept some of our players aren't as good as we hope.