Jackson Hastings will thrive without Mitchell Pearce, says Brad Fittler

BRAD Fittler has backed Jackson Hastings to step-up and guide the Roosters, without the experienced Mitchell Pearce, in just his second full NRL season.

Hastings will step-up, says Fittler

PLAYING behind the monster Sydney Roosters forward pack will ensure 20-year-old halfback Jackson Hastings gets every chance to thrive without Mitchell Pearce.

That was the opinion of Roosters’ great Brad Fittler, who backed Hastings to cope with the huge burden of trying to guide the glamour club around without the experienced Pearce in just his second full NRL season.

As the Chooks continued to deal with the fallout over Pearce’s boozy Australia Day antics, Hastings could find himself paired with rookie Jayden Nikorima for the round-one grudge match against South Sydney.

Jackson Hastings makes his way to a training after the Mitchell Pearce scandal.

If that’s the case, Hastings and Nikorima will have just 19 NRL games of experience - Nikorima is yet to debut - which is a whopping 60 games less than Wests Tigers’ exciting young duo Luke Brooks and Mitch Moses.

To put that into perspective, when Pearce and James Maloney ran out for the opening-round clash last season, they had played a combined 313 NRL games.

Hastings is the cocky kid who is the son of Kevin Hastings, the long-­serving Roosters’ No. 7 who played more than 30 years ago.

Fittler, one of the modern-day greats who was a Bondi favourite, told The Daily Telegraph: “Jackson definitely won’t feel out of place, and the players around him definitely won’t feel he’s out of place.

“The big advantage for him is he’s got a big experienced forward pack, and it would rate as one of the tougher forward packs in the game.

“As a young back, it’s always comforting having a tough forward pack to look after you.

Jayden Nikorima is yet to make his NRL debut. Picture: Mark Evans

“I started out in a similar situation at Penrith, and had the confidence in the forwards to look after you, and not get pushed around.

“(Either way) Jackson is going to have to handle it.’’

Hastings was a Wollongong junior, and spent time in the Holden Cup being mentored by Dragons’ halfback Ben Hornby, who also backed him to stamp his authority.

“I think he’ll relish it, Jackson is a footy player, he’s wanted to play footy his whole life, and he’ll be ready,’’ Hornby said.

Former NRL star Brad Fittler believes hastings will step up in Pearce’s absence.

“He’s got all the skills, he’s got a great kicking game, he competes as hard as anyone, he’s got a good-sized body, so I can’t see him having too many problems.

“With his personality, he wants to be the one running the show, so it won’t be a problem for him.’’

Andrew Johns, the immortal brought to the club in the off-season as a coaching consultant, will well and truly earn his pay cheque getting Hastings and possibly Nikorima ready.

Hastings started at halfback when Pearce was injured in the run home to the finals last year, and showed tremendous composure.

Entering week two of the finals against Canterbury, coach Trent Robinson was happy enough to gamble on Hastings and give Pearce an extra week to recover for the trip to Brisbane, a match they lost.

Mitchell Pearce and Jackson Hastings after losing the preliminary final against the Broncos. Pic Darren England.

A big reason Michael Jennings was moved along in recent weeks was partly to build up the war chest and retain Hastings beyond this season.

If Pearce is rubbed out for at least the first six rounds, the suggested minimum suspension to be imposed by the NRL, Hastings will have to dig deep against the Bunnies, who they meet again in round six.

Road trips to Canberra and premiers North Queensland follow, before two home games against Daly Cherry-Evans’ Manly and Shaun Johnson’s New Zealand Warriors.

The Roosters’ backline will look completely different from last year after the departures of Jennings, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Maloney, and Pearce’s pending penalty. Shaun Kenny-Dowall also fronts court next month to defend domestic violence charges.

Originally published as Jackson Hastings will thrive without Mitchell Pearce, says Brad Fittler