Mitchell Pearce set to join the Knights on huge $4 million deal
LAST week over beers, Mitchell Pearce promised his Roosters teammates he’ll return once Cooper Cronk was gone. On Thursday he signed a $4 million deal with the Knights.
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MITCHELL Pearce had a farewell drink with his Roosters team mates last week and told them he’d be back in two years to finish his career at Bondi Junction when Cooper Cronk retires.
It must have been the grog talking as the beers flowed long into the night at the Charing Cross Hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Because on Thursday, the NSW Blues halfback signed a four-year $4 million contract with the Newcastle Knights, convinced he could help lift the game’s wooden-spooners into the finals in 2018.
Bring on round three of next year’s premiership when the Knights play the Roosters and Pearce comes face-to-face with Test halfback Cooper Cronk — the player who stole his No. 7 jersey.
Knights coach Nathan Brown convinced the much maligned halfback to reject offers from the Manly Sea Eagles and Cronulla Sharks to move to Newcastle.
He is the club’s biggest signing since champion forward Ben Kennedy left the Canberra Raiders in 2000 to move to Newcastle and win a premiership.
It was The Daily telegraph who broke the news to Brown on Thursday before Pearce’s manager Steve Gillis phoned him with the news.
The Knights had tried Jack Bird, Matt Scott, Keiran Foran, James Graham and James Maloney.
All to no avail.
Still, the club was $2 million under the salary cap and were always going to write the biggest cheque for the former Roosters halfback.
Bookmakers reacted to the news by tightening the Knights’ premiership odds from $41 into $31, from $3.50 to $3.00 to make the finals and from $7.50 to $6.00 to finish in the top four.
As he told the Roosters players, Pearce was originally only looking for the two-year deal.
He loved the Roosters and wanted to go back.
But he was that impressed by what the Knights had to offer and the fact he was joining an improving club with enormous potential on the roster.
Plus he’d be comfortable alongside former Roosters team mates Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Aidan Guerra and Connor Watson in the Knights jersey.
And to think the Knights still have $1 million to spend.
“This is huge,” said club legend Matty Johns, “It’s the best news Newcastle have had for years.
“He could be as big as Joey in that town. Seriously, they’ll love him up there.”
The signing of Pearce is not just a major victory for the Knights.
It’s a huge result for the game, met with wide applause across social media when the Daily Telegraph broke the story on Thursday afternoon.
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The NRL desperately needs a competitive football team in the Hunter where the Knights have the best and strongest supporter base in the game.
This should ensure it, combined with the signing of boom Cowboys fullback Kayln Ponga.
Pearce should be made captain of the team with complete ownership.
He could potentially become a hometown hero as big as the Johns brothers, Andrew and Matty.
In the end it was money that swayed him towards Newcastle. Plus the challenge.
He could have taken a less money at the Sharks or Manly where success is almost assured.
Instead he’s backing himself big time.
Originally published as Mitchell Pearce set to join the Knights on huge $4 million deal
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