Text scandal the last straw for Knights’ captain
Mitchell Pearce has stood down as Knights captain following the scandal around his alleged text messaging of a female club employee, effective immediately.
Pearce is understood to have broken down when he told his team-mates of the move yesterday, having previously met with Newcastle hierarchy and coach Adam O’Brien to address the off-field incident that saw his future at the club called into question.
A replacement as skipper has not yet been determined, with a leadership shake-up already under consideration before Pearce dominated headlines over the Christmas period.
The 31-year-old’s off-season wedding was postponed on Christmas Eve after his messages to a club employee were revealed.
The partner of the employee is understood to have friends among Newcastle’s playing group including back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon, raising the prospect of a divide amongst O’Brien’s squad.
A club statement said Pearce apologised to O’Brien, chief executive Philip Gardner and football manager Danny Buderus for “the distraction and inconvenience caused” and that he has decided to step down from the captaincy which he has held since arriving from the Roosters in 2018.
“Pearce’s decision followed a lengthy review of current issues, last season’s performance and reflection upon the added pressure the captaincy brings to both his on-field performance and personal life,” the statement said.
“The club is fully supportive of his decision.
“The Knights will continue work to develop a new club leadership model, with a decision on new club leaders — including who will ultimately perform the role of captain — yet to be made.”
An immediate successor to the Newcastle captaincy is not clear cut, given representative prop David Klemmer’s position can limit his minutes on the paddock.
Marquee recruit Tyson
Frizell also has obvious leadership potential but he has only recently arrived at the club, while veteran playmaker Blake Green has captaincy experience from his time at the Warriors and is highly regarded.
He is, however, expected to miss the first few weeks of the 2021 season as he recovers from an ACL rupture, and at 34 would be regarded as a short-term captaincy option.
As for Pearce, Buderus insisted on Monday that he still had a future at the Knights and would be on deck as expected in 2021.
The star No 7 is however in the midst of delicate contract negotiations beyond next season, having stated publicly and repeatedly that he wants to finish his career in the Hunter Valley.
A pay cut from the multimillion-dollar, four-year deal that first lured him to Newcastle as a star signing in 2017 loomed well before his latest off-field drama.
Pearce’s form in his first two seasons as a Knight were strong. But despite leading the club to their first finals appearance since 2013, his 2020 campaign was less consistent with injuries forcing constant change among his halves partners.