Mitchell Pearce speaks openly to Buzz Rothfield about his therapy sessions at Alcoholics Anonymous

IN an emotional interview, Mitchell Pearce speaks openly to Buzz Rothfield about his recent therapy sessions at Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mitchell Pearce said he has learned to take accountability for his actions

Mitchell Pearce speaks openly and comfortably about his recent therapy sessions at Alcoholics Anonymous.

There is not the slightest hint of shame or embarrassment. Nor should there be. It’s just part of the process on this long road to recovery.

Like others undergoing treatment, Pearce recently stood in front of the group and introduced himself.

Being a high-profile NRL footy player makes no difference. Many already knew who he was.

The publicity surrounding his pre-season binge drinking and lewd acts ensured that.

This is the place where thousands of struggling Australians from all walks of life meet, talk and work on getting their lives back in order. Everyone is the same and there is nowhere to hide.

“We’re all human and we’re all addressing the same sort of problems,” Pearce tells The Sunday Telegraph.

“It’s actually a very trustworthy and positive environment and everyone is there to get help and to learn.

“My rehab is not over by any means. It’s continuous. It’s a reality and there’s no time limit. I’m doing it willingly. And I feel like I’m growing.”

Pearce’s progress over the past four months has been quite remarkable.

We meet at a Surry Hills cafe on Friday for his first interview since the media blitz when he arrived home from his clinic in Thailand where the treatment began.

He is upbeat, funny, positive and optimistic about the future — a far cry from the shattered and fallen figure we all witnessed earlier this year.

We get the hard news out of the way first.

State of Origin. Does he want to play for the NSW Blues? Will he make himself available for when Laurie Daley announces his team next week?

“I respect the Blues jersey and it’s always been a privilege to play for NSW,” he says. “But it would be presumptuous of me to even think I could walk into the team after everything that has happened.

“I was disappointed about what got leaked to the paper the other day that I wouldn’t play. I honestly haven’t thought that far ahead. That’s the absolute truth.

It’s been a difficult journey for Pearce in recent months.

“One story and it becomes a bit of chaos. I’ve had conversations with a few people about my recovery and the various stages of it. My focus is on the Titans on Monday night. It’s a cliche but I’m taking a game at a time. I want to play well and want to help the entire Roosters team.

“I’m fully focused on my rehabilitation and my football and that’s where I’m at.”

Pearce keeps ramming home the point he is nowhere near fully recovered.

It takes much longer than four months to recuperate and fix the issues that threatened to bring a premature end to his NRL career.

Outside of Alcoholics Anonymous, he is undergoing other regular rehab from a branch of The Cabin, the worldrenowned Thailand clinic where he spent most of February.

There are three or four sessions a week. It keeps him focused.

“It’s opened up a whole new journey for me and it’s definitely a good journey,” he said.

“It’s changed my perception of myself and what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m enjoying it and I feel I’m becoming a better person and with that a better leader.

“It gives me a balance away from football. It’s not intense but it’s challenging mentally. The people there are just like me. It’s just that they are in a different environment.

“A lot of it is just being honest with yourself and talking about where you are at. It changes your beliefs and they teach us about people who chase those highs.”

The 27-year-old Roosters halfback is hardly the first rugby league player to succumb to a drinking problem.

Drinking, drugs and gambling are not just an NRL issue but widespread among other sports stars as they deal every day with the pressure of public scrutiny.

Right now, his great mate Kieran Foran is undergoing similar rehabilitation in a Brisbane Clinic.

“I’ve been chatting to Kieran a bit,” Pearce reveals. “We’ve grown up together since we were eight or nine-year-olds and he’s like a brother to me.

“He’s going through his own problems and it’s sad. I guess though one positive thing about what Kieran and I have been doing is that there are a few more people talking about these issues now.

“There’s a lot more awareness and that’s a positive. Everyone is human. In football there’s a lot of ego. We turn up every day and play tough but we can all slip.”

Pearce and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves share a laugh at Roosters training.

He says he has learnt to live with the criticism and the public taunts. About his form and his private life, especially since the latest incident.

“One fan kept barking at me the other week for the whole game when we played in Canberra,” he laughs.

“I’ve had my fair share of criticism over my entire career with all the different opinions out there. It actually doesn’t worry me that much. It doesn’t affect me. The stronger you get as a person you only listen to the people you respect most.

“Overall it’s reasonably positive. Everyone knows I stuffed up. If they are negative, I know I did the wrong thing and I’ve just got to move on.’’

Those people he says he respects most are among a huge network of family and friends who have been there since that ill-fated Australia Day cruise and after-party.

He keeps reeling off names. His best mates Tristan Hay and Liam Roach. His mum and dad, Wayne and Terri. His coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis. Sonny Bill Williams’ agent Khoder Nasser and boxing trainer Tony Mundine.

Pearce returning from Thailand with meet his parents Terri and Wayne — and the media.

“You have no idea how much I appreciate their care and their love,” he said. “Liam and Tristan are my closest mates with my family. You can never take friendship for granted.

“You cherish your parents. I’ve got closer to my family. It’s united us. Lack of love is not one of my problems and I couldn’t do without them. I’ve learnt a lot of life lessons in recent times, especially about support networks.

“I wouldn’t be there if Nick didn’t support me through the whole shemozzle. And Trent Robinson, he’s been a friend as much as my coach. I definitely can’t chip anyone about lack of support.”

So for now, the long road to recovery continues. Pearce admits he is not in a position to say he will never drink again.

“I’ve always been loose when I’m on it,” he says. “Right now I’m fine. I’m certainly not going out. No nightclubs, nothing. And I’m feeling a lot healthier for it.”

Roosters coach Trent Robinson ahas had to deal with too many Pearce problems in his time.

The worst he is dealing with is the guilt and shame of letting his teammates down. The fans, the members and the coaching staff at the Sydney Roosters. Everyone involved at the club. Those first five losses, the 40-0 thumping to the Cowboys and the 42-10 loss to the Rabbitohs.

Each week and each loss you’d see Pearce helplessly wandering around the dressing sheds, normally with his head down. It’s what guilt does.

“I was going through a lot of emotions not being part of it,” he said.

“The most important thing is I’ve now learnt a lot about accountability and taking responsibility for my actions. It’s hurt, of course it has, but it was something I needed to sit through to reinforce how much I’d let people down. It’s all part of the healing.

“I’ve still got to make amends. The next step is Monday night against the Titans.”

Originally published as Mitchell Pearce speaks openly to Buzz Rothfield about his therapy sessions at Alcoholics Anonymous