Pearce is an example.

[Guest]

are you rooting him? he is an average player with a lot of ticker.. that is it.. If the whole team was like him we may run 7th.

So the rep career is based on what, nepotism or some other conspiracy?

[Guest]

So the rep career is based on what, nepotism or some other conspiracy?

Ah, if his name was Braith Anasta then he wouldn't be considered.

Or is that a bad example?

[Cockadoodledoo]

So the rep career is based on what, nepotism or some other conspiracy?

Look at his competition... Can you remember the last time Pearce scored an individual try running more than 20 metres? Perhaps even a clear line break? His rep career amounts to one victory... Origin is different to club football.. In origin the games are played very tight, there isn't much in the way of expansive attack and Pearce's roll is pretty much catch and pass, kick on the last and tackle everything that moves.. He goes alright doing this as he has many go to players.. At Easts we need more than that and he simply does not have the ability to do so.

[Rooster_6]

are you rooting him? he is an average player with a lot of ticker.. that is it.. If the whole team was like him we may run 7th.

Yeh I'm rooting him because I didn't throw in any racist/father son/irrelevant jokes. Sorry I'll stop posting something with substance.

[Guest]

Look at his competition... Can you remember the last time Pearce scored an individual try running more than 20 metres? Perhaps even a clear line break? His rep career amounts to one victory... Origin is different to club football.. In origin the games are played very tight, there isn't much in the way of expansive attack and Pearce's roll is pretty much catch and pass, kick on the last and tackle everything that moves.. He goes alright doing this as he has many go to players.. At Easts we need more than that and he simply does not have the ability to do so.

See this is the logic I dont get - he is only the NSW Origin halfback because there is no-one who is better in his role in NSW - but he is still crap?!?!

He is not Finch getting a run due to a myriad of injuries - he is the clear first choice halfback - with a coach who judges halbacks more harshly than most.

....and your last sentence pretty much says "he is good enough for origin but not good enough for Easts".

At 21, and with the work ethic he has - I would not swap him.

[Cockadoodledoo]

See this is the logic I dont get - he is only the NSW Origin halfback because there is no-one who is better in his role in NSW - but he is still crap?!?!

He is not Finch getting a run due to a myriad of injuries - he is the clear first choice halfback - with a coach who judges halbacks more harshly than most.

....and your last sentence pretty much says "he is good enough for origin but not good enough for Easts".

At 21, and with the work ethic he has - I would not swap him.

Now you are just making things up.. I think you clearly failed at comprehension.. I never said he was crap.. For the Roosters he will have a handful of great games for us a season, a handful of rubbish ones and the rest will be decent... This to me makes him average.. not crap and not great... Is that hard for you to understand?

You made no attempt to refute that origin and club football are played a little differently.. Or that his role in the team is slightly different. His age means little, he has played almost 100 first grade games, do we need him to play 200 to be a dominant player?

I noticed no attempt to actually respond to when he last scored an individual try or line break... Maybe you could at least tell me when he last kicked a 40-20. Give me something, tell me what makes him a top draw player instead of an average one. If you truly think the quality of half backs of today is the same as it was 20 years ago then we are watching a different game.

[Guest]

Now you are just making things up.. I think you clearly failed at comprehension.. I never said he was crap.. For the Roosters he will have a handful of great games for us a season, a handful of rubbish ones and the rest will be decent... This to me makes him average.. not crap and not great... Is that hard for you to understand?

You made no attempt to refute that origin and club football are played a little differently.. Or that his role in the team is slightly different. His age means little, he has played almost 100 first grade games, do we need him to play 200 to be a dominant player?

I noticed no attempt to actually respond to when he last scored an individual try or line break... Maybe you could at least tell me when he last kicked a 40-20. Give me something, tell me what makes him a top draw player instead of an average one. If you truly think the quality of half backs of today is the same as it was 20 years ago then we are watching a different game.

OK, just for fun....

See this is the logic I dont get - he is only the NSW Origin halfback because there is no-one who is better in his role in NSW - but he is still average?!?!

Origin and club football are different. Origin football is faster, more intense and a half has significantly less time to make decisions. There are also less weak points in the opposition to exploit. He is proving himself at this level and few are capable of this.

On your last point, I am have been watching a fair bit of the games last year (can't bring myself to watch replays of this years games) and there were a bunch of all of the above. This year he has struggled in attack as has the whole team but you can't single out the halfback when the whole team has been poor and the forwards are getting beat week in week out.

I am not arguing that he is "great" at this point of his career but he is very good, is tough as teeth, and has a sensational work ethic. I believe he is a keeper and will repay our investment in spades over time, while giving us above average service in the meantime.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree at this point. Meet you back here in a couple of years to compare notes.

[Cockadoodledoo]

OK, just for fun....

See this is the logic I dont get - he is only the NSW Origin halfback because there is no-one who is better in his role in NSW - but he is still average?!?!

Yes he is.. let's break down the field and try and find the above average halves there... We can consider Thurston, Cronk, Sandow, Seymour, Prince, Lui all ineligible as Queenslanders. That leaves 10 remaining as New South Welshman. Ben Hornby has retired from rep footy leaving 9 eligible halves for selection consisting of;

1. Mitchell Pearce
2. Jarrod Mullen (injured)
3. Trent Hodgkinson
4. J P Cherry
5. Luke Walsh
6. Chad Townsend
7. Jeff Robson
8. Sam Williams
9. Peter Wallace

That is probably the worst field of halfbacks ever available for NSW selection.. There were some commentators tipping Mullen for the 7 jumper even though he too was in poor form before getting injured a week before selection. It is not hard to see why an 'average' quality player could be picked as there is no one in that list (outside Pearce) who is better than average (Cherry is promising but in his rookie season). For the record Pearce has one line break this season in 12 matches and I cannot remember if he ran 2 metre's or 50.

[The Pelican]

Yes he is.. let's break down the field and try and find the above average halves there... We can consider Thurston, Cronk, Sandow, Seymour, Prince, Lui all ineligible as Queenslanders. That leaves 10 remaining as New South Welshman. Ben Hornby has retired from rep footy leaving 9 eligible halves for selection consisting of;

1. Mitchell Pearce
2. Jarrod Mullen (injured)
3. Trent Hodgkinson
4. J P Cherry
5. Luke Walsh
6. Chad Townsend
7. Jeff Robson
8. Sam Williams
9. Peter Wallace

That is probably the worst field of halfbacks ever available for NSW selection.. There were some commentators tipping Mullen for the 7 jumper even though he too was in poor form before getting injured a week before selection. It is not hard to see why an 'average' quality player could be picked as there is no one in that list (outside Pearce) who is better than average (Cherry is promising but in his rookie season). For the record Pearce has one line break this season in 12 matches and I cannot remember if he ran 2 metre's or 50.

I thought DCE was a QLD'er.

[Rooster_6]

Yeh he is.

[Cockadoodledoo]

I thought DCE was a QLD'er.

I should have realized as he has some talent.. Makes the list even more mediocre and highlights what a crap field it really is.

[Guest]

Geez, you'd better put Cooper Cronk right next to Pearce because he only has 2 line breaks for the year despite Melbourne putting up some big scores.