Stats prove new Rooster Cooper Cronk is twice as good as Mitchell Pearce
NUMBERS don’t lie and they say the Roosters are right to send Mitchell Pearce to the bench to accommodate Cooper Cronk.
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WHEN it comes to stats, Cooper Cronk has a serious edge on Mitchell Pearce.
While Cronk’s career totals are inflated a little by his earlier start — he made his debut four years before Pearce — the Melbourne man has only been a full-time halfback for one extra season.
Cronk began his time as Melbourne’s halfback in 2006, a season before Pearce came on the scene with the Roosters.
The Queenslander has 300 try assists in 289 starts at halfback, to go with 92 line breaks, 222 line break assists.
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By comparison, Pearce has 235 games at halfback, 212 try assists, 71 line breaks and 202 line break assists.
The two men have played 29 matches against each other at club and rep level. Pearce has not played against any other player more. Shaun Johnson is the only player Cronk has faced more often.
Cronk has topped 20 try assists in a season nine times, including the last seven seasons in a row. His career high for try assists in a season is 38 in 2012.
Pearce has topped 20 try assists in a season seven times but hasn’t done so since 2015. His career high for try assists in a season is 26 in 2013.
Head to head, Cronk has a clear advantage with a 21-8 record.
When they both start in the halves at Origin level, Cronk has an 8-3 lead.
Counting the matches he played on the bench in 2010 and 2011, Cronk holds an overall 12-4 lead in terms of head to head matches at interstate level.
At club level, Pearce has nine try assists, one line break, seven line break assists and 18 errors in 15 matches against the Storm.
Cronk has 16 try assists, five line breaks, 15 line break assists and 18 errors in 20 games against the Roosters.
Melbourne have won five of their last seven against the Roosters when Cronk has played, including their last four. In their most recent meeting, a 16-13 Storm win in Round 23 of this season, Cronk set up the winning try in the final three minutes for Joe Stimson.
In their other meeting this season, Pearce kicked a golden point field goal in a 25-24 victory in Round 16 at Adelaide Oval. Cronk was rested and did not play.
In terms of individual honours, Cronk has won the Dally M halfback of the year award five times (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016) and the Dally M medal twice (2013 and 2016). He’s also finished in the top 10 of overall voting five times. Pearce has never won halfback of the year and has finished in the top 10 for Dally M voting once.
He’s also won two premierships in 2012 and 2017, had two more stripped in 2007 and 2009 and won the Clive Churchill Medal in 2009. Pearce won his only title with the Roosters in 2013.