Pearce to link with Knights
MITCHELL Pearce had a farewell drink with his Roosters teammates last week and told them he’d be back in two years to finish his career at Bondi Junction when Cooper Cronk retires.
It must have been the grog talking as the beers flowed long into the night at the Charing Cross Hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Because the NSW Blues halfback yesterday signed a four-year, $4 million contract with the Newcastle Knights, convinced he could help lift the game’s wooden-spooners into the finals in 2018.
Bring on Round 3 of next year when the Knights play the Roosters and Pearce comes face to face with Test halfback Cooper Cronk – the player who stole his No.7 jersey.
Knights coach Nathan Brown convinced the much maligned halfback to reject offers from Manly and Cronulla Sharks to move to Newcastle.
He is the club’s biggest signing since champion forward Ben Kennedy left Canberra in 2000 to move to Newcastle and win a premiership.
The Knights had tried Jack Bird, Matt Scott, Keiran Foran, James Graham and James Maloney.
All to no avail. Still, the club was $2 million under the salary cap and were always going to write the biggest cheque for the former Roosters halfback.
Bookmakers reacted to the news by tightening the Knights’ premiership odds.
As he told the Roosters players, Pearce was originally only looking for the two-year deal. He loved the Roosters and wanted to go back.
But he was that impressed by what the Knights had to offer and the fact he was joining an improving club with big potential on the roster.
Plus he’d be comfortable alongside former teammates Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Aidan Guerra and Connor Watson.
And to think the Knights still have $1 million to spend.
“This is huge,” said club legend Matty Johns, “It’s the best news Newcastle have had for years. He could be as big as Joey in that town.”