Sport Confidential: Mitchell Pearce will ask Laurie Daley to be overlooked for Origin

SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: In a sensational twist to Blues selections, Mitchell Pearce will ask Laurie Daley if he can be overlooked for this series.

IN a sensational twist to NSW State of Origin selections, Mitchell Pearce will ask Laurie Daley early next week if he can be overlooked for this series.

Pearce has told Roosters insiders and family members that he is adamant he does not want to play for the Blues this season because his rehabilitation is his top priority.

He is also reluctant to desert the struggling Roosters for another long absence.

Although he has not spoken to Daley since his return to football last week, The Daily Telegraph understands Pearce spoke to the Roosters hierarchy and was told to think about it until next week before making a final decision on his immediate representative future.

Pearce has told senior Roosters coaches and teammates that he feels he has let the team down this season and wants to make amends for the eight weeks he was suspended from the game.

He believes that sacrificing more time to Origin would be detrimental to the Roosters and put himself under more pressure.

“Mitchell’s rehabilitation is at a very important stage,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

“I’ve told him to go away and think about it, but he seems to have made up his mind.

Mitchell Pearce wants to be excused from Origin selection in 2016. Picture Gregg Porteous

“This is a long healing process and Mitchell does not want his progress affected by more change.

“This process is not over just because he’s come back to footy. There’s a long way to go.”

The stumbling block for Pearce, who was in line to partner James Maloney in the halves, is that the rules clearly state a player cannot stand down for just one season.

Under the rules, Pearce would be forced to quit all Origin football permanently.

The Roosters are hoping Daley and the NSWRL take a sympathetic view of Pearce’s plight and agree to him sitting out just this season.

“My belief is that Mitchell could become one of the great halfbacks of Origin,” Robinson said. “He just needs 2016 to get back on track.”

Pearce’s family and friends are also concerned that the fragile halfback could be the target of a vicious public campaign if the Blues lose the Origin series.

Daley admitted Pearce had often been the unfair target of irate fans looking for one player to blame for Origin losses.

IRVINE LEAVES BLUES CAMP IN WAKE OF EELS SCANDAL

PARRAMATTA’s salary cap drama has claimed another victim — former Eels football manager Jason Irvine.

Irvine this week stood down as a senior NSW State of Origin staff member, fearing the salary cap fiasco could ­create unnecessary disruptions inside the Blues camp.

Admired by players, Irvine, who is no longer with Parramatta, wasn’t mentioned or sanctioned by the NRL throughout its investigation.

Irvine still thought it best to stand down so NSW’s camps could proceed smoothly and without any potential unwanted headlines.

Eels players on the day NRL handed down its punishments for salary cap breaches. picture. Phil Hillyard

Sport Confidential has been told Irvine sent an email to Blues coach Laurie Daley and NSWRL chief executive Dave Trodden on Thursday to inform them of his decision.

“It’s a shame, ‘Irvy’ is a ­really important member of our off-field team and he will be missed,” Daley said.

“He just thought it best to stand down and avoid any possible issues.”

Meanwhile, former Parramatta board member Mario Libertini has claimed under-siege chairman Steve Sharp tried to disrupt a meeting between Eels players and Todd Greenberg at which the NRL CEO revealed the club’s salary cap punishment.

Libertini tweeted: “Funny thing, like many others, I had respect for Steve Sharp. You certainly fooled many. Fancy trying to stop TG (Greenberg) addressing players.”