Selecting Mitchell Pearce could mean Origin hell for NSW

Mitchell Pearce at 7 just about makes sense. But Nathan Cleary at 6 sounds insane. But then again, it wouldn’t be the first outlandish Origin selection call thrown back in the critics’ face, writes MIKE COLMAN.

Mitchell Pearce has form, if not history, on his side. Image: AAP Image/Darren Pateman

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It’s never a wise move to bag an Origin selection.

I remember my late Sydney colleague Peter “Chippy” Frilingos going ballistic when the Queensland selectors opted for an unknown halfback in 1987, describing it as a “decisive step to oblivion”.

The young bloke’s name was Allan Langer and his selection was actually a decisive step to a magnificent 34-match, 15 year Origin career. Chippy never lived it down.

Then there was Adam “Who?” Mogg in 2006 who the Sydney media laughed about right up until he scored two tries in a winning team on debut, and even those who thought that Langer wouldn’t be able to cut it when he flew back from the UK for his spectacular return in 2001.

So as I say, I make it a rule never to be too vocal about an out-of-left field selection for fear of being left with egg on my face.

But on this occasion I make an exception.

Pearce has form, if not history, on his side. Image: AAP Image/Darren Pateman

Mitchell Pearce NSW half and Nathan Cleary five-eighth reportedly in line for Origin 2?

Are they fair dinkum?

OK, I get Pearce. Sort of. He is the form No.7 in the NRL, having the season of his life.

Of course there is still the small matter that he is the least successful NSW halfback in the history of mankind, but given the Blues are one down with two to play you can see that he’s worth a chance.

But Cleary at six? Ridiculous.

Pearce deserves a chance to put this behind him. Image: Adam Head

First they pick Cody Walker, one of the top five-eighths in the competition, and then they don’t give him a chance to find his feet in the high-pressure surrounds of Origin football outside an unfamiliar halves partner.

Blues’ coach Brad Fittler said he pulled Walker from the field after 56 minutes because he “hadn’t found his groove”.

Well, he wasn’t going to find it on the bench, that’s for sure.

Still, at least the Blues had another of the NRL’s top five-eighths on standby in Jack Wighton.

Admittedly Wighton made a few errors during his time on the field but he is a class act who is getting better at number six by the week, so if Fittler and his co-selectors wanted to dump Walker — shortsighted as that seems — you’d think that Wighton would be the man to get the start.

Failing that, maybe James Maloney who did the job last year.

Anyone but Cleary.

Cleary hasn’t shown the form to take on Munster. Image: AAP Image/Darren England

Even in last year’s series he didn’t exactly set the world on fire but this season he is a shadow of the player he was back then.

He was adequate at best in the first half of game one, and hardly sighted in the second.

And that was at halfback, his specialist position. How he is going to stack up against Maroons’ No.6 Cameron Munster in Perth is anyone’s guess.

Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans have gelled like clockwork in the last two Origin games — both won by Queensland. To put them up against Cleary and Pearce who have never played together and who have a combined Origin record of 15 losses from 22 starts seems almost unfair.

So why do it? According to reports on Thursday night it was so as not to make too many disruptions to the backline; to take advantage of Cleary’s defensive qualities and goal kicking, and keep Wighton as a utility player.

Of those the only one that makes any real sense is Wighton staying at 14. At least that way he’ll be able to replace Cleary when it all goes pear-shaped.

Of the others, Cleary at five-eighth and Pearce at half is just as big a disruption as keeping Walker or bringing in Maloney; it is doubtful that an out-of-position Cleary will be any better in the defensive line than a specialist No.6 and, as far as goalkicking is concerned, don’t Latrell Mitchell and Maloney have a fair boot on them?

Sorry Blues supporters, but to me it all sounds like a decisive step to oblivion.

But then again, I have heard that before of course.