NRL news: Corey Norman could replace Mitchell Pearce at the Newcastle Knights
Mitchell Pearce wants out of the Knights and there’s already a playmaker tipped to take his place. HAVE YOUR SAY
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Discarded Dragon Corey Norman has been thrown up as a left-field option to replace Mitchell Pearce at Newcastle next season.
It comes after Pearce formally requested a release from the final year of his contract so he can take up a lucrative $1.8 million three-year offer at French Super League club Catalans.
Pearce met face-to-face with chief executive Philip Gardner on Wednesday following an earlier chat with head coach Adam O’Brien on Tuesday night in Newcastle.
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It is understood Pearce told O’Brien words to the effect that he was no longer motivated to keep playing in the NRL and that his body was also struggling to keep up with the pace of the game.
It’s also been suggested that Pearce just wanted to get away from the scrutiny after 15 seasons in the NRL, and the opportunity to go and live in France has given him a new lease of life.
O’Brien would not make any comment other than to say via a text message that “the club is working through it”, with both parties attempting to come to an amicable agreement.
But there is no doubt that privately the Knights are less than impressed that Pearce has left it to this late stage to tell the club of his plans, despite agreeing to a new cut-price one-year deal in March.
While the Knights are resigned to the fact Pearce has played his last game for Newcastle, they are not expected to grant his release until they get a substantial transfer fee in return and find a suitable replacement.
One name that has already been spoken about is 30-year-old Norman, who was recently let go by St George Illawarra.
While Norman has had his own share of indiscretions over the years, there is no doubting he is an extremely talented footballer who just might have been given the kick in the pants he needed to reignite his career after a few average seasons.
Those who know him well at the Dragons speak highly of Norman as a bloke, and given he remains clubless for next season, he would also come at a bargain price.
It must be stated that this is not the Knights’ top choice but Norman is definitely one player they will do their homework on.
There is also a suggestion that Luke Brooks could still become available even though new Wests Tigers head of football Tim Sheens all but slammed the door shut on that when he released a statement saying Brooks was going nowhere.
Another name that has been speculated is North Queensland’s Scott Drinkwater, who hails from Terrigal on the Central Coast, and is good mates with Knights recruitment chief Clint Zammit.
But Drinkwater is contracted at the Cowboys until the end of 2023 and it is highly unlikely he would be let go, although North Queensland also has Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden contracted until the end of 2024.
It is understood the Knights’ priority is to try to sign an experienced playmaker and they are canvassing every possible option.
The fallback is that they do have youngsters Adam Clune and Phoenix Crossland who could potentially get the call up to be Jake Clifford’s halves partner.
There seems to be a reluctance to move Kalyn Ponga from fullback until at least 2023 to give young Englishman Bailey Hodgson another year to get ready to potentially take over in the No 1 jumper.
But, if a quality fullback option was to become available in the coming weeks, that could still see Ponga shift positions next season.
The Knights are mindful just how important this decision is given they have built up a very strong squad that has the potential to challenge for a top four finish next season if they get the right man to come in as Pearce’s replacement.
Ponga ‘100 per cent’ ready
Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga is “100 per cent” ready to switch into the halves next season to cover for the departing Mitchell Pearce.
But the move has the potential to backfire because it could “squeeze” out the Knights’ most important player from having the impact that his roaming role at fullback offers.
That is the verdict straight from the mouth of Ponga’s father Andre who says his son has no fears about a possible positional shift, but “at the end of the day he has just got to get his hands on the ball”.
And the Pongas don’t want to make a commitment either way on a positional move until there is clarity on who will come into the squad to take Pearce’s place.
Ponga’s father also maintained his son had no intention on walking out on the club despite having a player option in his contract that makes him free to negotiate with rival clubs for 2023, with Wayne Bennett’s newly established Dolphins circling.
There was speculation on Tuesday coming from north of the border that there had been an emergency meeting between the Pongas and Knights, but that has been denied by both parties.
Meanwhile, the Knights are preparing to play hardball with the veteran halfback and demand a six-figure transfer fee to grant Pearce’s release from the final year of his contract so he can take up a lucrative three-year contract with Super League club Catalans.
On Wednesday, Pearce officially requested a release from the final year of his contract at the Knights. However, the Knights aren’t prepared to let Pearce walk if they get nothing in return.
They don’t want to make the move difficult but there is just no denying Pearce is leaving Newcastle in a giant hole by walking out on the final year of his contract because there is no clear candidate to take his place at this point.
While they are going to have his reported $550,000-plus salary to spend on a replacement, at this late stage there is no player on the market available for next year who can immediately step in and fill the void of the team’s chief playmaker.
It is understood the club is doing its due diligence on potential options at either fullback or in the halves, knowing Ponga has the ability to make the switch from fullback if needed.
The plan at the club has for some time been for Ponga to make the shift from fullback to five-eighth in 2023, but everyone understands that might now have to come forward a season.
Coach Adam O’Brien is reluctant to do it but Ponga’s father was adamant Ponga is capable of doing what is needed.
But what the supremely talented 23-year-old wants most is to play whatever position best suits the team to make the Knights the strongest possible chance to challenge for a premiership.
With Dane Gagai’s arrival and among the best forward packs in the comp, the Knights had a realistic chance of pushing for a top four finish next year.
But Pearce’s unexpected departure has the potential to blow that to smithereens.
It was only last Christmas the Knights had to take a stand and stand Pearce down from captain after he got caught up in a texting scandal with a young women.
Now he wants to up and leave with a year to run on his contract that he negotiated because other NRL clubs weren’t interested.
There is a feeling in the league community that Pearce deserves some latitude because of the, at times, unfair criticism he has copped throughout his career.
But this appears just another example of how Pearce can easily manage to make life difficult for himself.
Meanwhile, Andre maintained Ponga was also in the dark over Pearce’s plans and so would not commit where he thought his son was best placed.
“To be straight up (who is available) will play a big part in where Kalyn plays I would assume,” Andre said.
“If Mitch goes there is realistically an opportunity for Kalyn to play in the halves, but then who plays fullback?
“What I do know is that it is a jigsaw, and until we figure out who is coming and going then it will be clearer what the best position is for him.
“I still think he has got a lot to offer at fullback.
“Fullback kind of offers him more to do but halfback might just squeeze him a little.”
Asked if he thought Kalyn was ready to move into the halves, Andre answered without hesitation: “Of course, 100 per cent.
“You could have asked me that question three years ago when (Nathan) Brownie put him in there.”
But asked if he thought he was ready then, Andre responded: “Yep. At the end of the day he has just got to get his hands on the ball.”
Coach’s revelation could spark ugly Pearce stand-off
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien has broken his silence on Mitchell Pearce’s future.
And O’Brien is adamant he nor any executive at the Knights has spoken to Mitchell Pearce about granting the veteran halfback an immediate release from the final year of his NRL contract so he can go and play out his career for French Super League club Catalans.
This is despite Pearce, 32, telling those close to him that he is now ready to take up what will ultimately be a lucrative three-year offer to take over from the recently retired James Maloney at Catalans.
Pearce has spoken about the move with friends and former Catalans players, Maloney and Todd Carney, who have encouraged his overseas journey.
The belief is that the official offer from Catalans will arrive at any time and at that point Pearce will attempt to set up a meeting with O’Brien and the Newcastle bosses including chief executive Phil Gardner and recruitment chief Clint Zammit.
While the Knights are expected to grant the release, O’Brien maintains that at this point he and the rest of the club have been left in the dark with what Pearce’s plans are.
And the fear now is that because Pearce has failed to make contact with the Knights’ hierarchy this has the potential to blow up into a messy stand-off.
As of Monday night O’Brien said “hand on heart” he’d had no communication with Pearce.
“All I can say is I nor anyone at the club have heard from Mitchell or his management,” O’Brien said.
“He is currently scheduled to start training on the 24th of November and until I’m told otherwise, I have started planning for 2022 with Mitch as our halfback.”
Asked if he was disappointed that Pearce had not contacted him personally to tell him of his plans, O’Brien said: “Well, I haven’t got anything to be disappointed about yet.
“I will cross that bridge when I come to it but I only live two streets away from him and I haven’t heard anything.”
O’Brien made it clear that he was not angry with Pearce but determined to do what was in the club’s best interests.
And the fact is that as it stands Newcastle is clearly a better team with Pearce’s experience than without it, given at this point there is no like-for-like replacement on the horizon.
The Knights have Jake Clifford who played strongly this season but the feeling is O’Brien would be reluctant to shift Kalyn Ponga into the halves at this point.
The other options currently on the payroll are Adam Clune or young Phoenix Crossland but neither could be expected to come in and do the job Pearce is capable of.
The Knights have also lost Connor Watson to the Roosters.
There has been speculation that Luke Brooks could be the player to take Pearce’s place but O’Brien was equally emphatic that there had been no talks and Wests Tigers’ new head of football Tim Sheens has already made it clear that Brooks won’t be released from the final two years of his contract.
The other not so small matter is that Brooks is on a reported $850,000, considerably more than the $550,000 Pearce was set to collect next season.
But in France not only will Pearce’s pay packet rocket north but he gets an added two years thrown in, worth between $1.5m and $1.8 million over the term of the deal.
In no way has Pearce expressed to anyone that he is unhappy at Newcastle or that he is off with the coach.
But the feeling he has put out is that he needs a change so he can grow as a man and get away from the NRL bubble that has consumed his life since he was a teenager.
He is also no longer with his previous partner Kristin Scott.
But any way you look at it the Knights are not in a position to be a stronger side next year if they let Pearce go.
The Knights’ coaching staff were involved in meetings on Monday and that will continue on Tuesday when they go away for further workshops in Port Stephens and they won’t be back until Friday.
So if Pearce is planning to catch up with O’Brien it might require a road trip north.
“Honest to God, I am not lying,” O’Brien reiterated, “I have not heard a single sentence.
“So I will just crack on and cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Pearce has lived and played under intense scrutiny since making his NRL debut with the Sydney Roosters back in 2007. He will leave the NRL as one most durable and skilful halfbacks of the modern era, averaging 21 games a season – a remarkable effort for a player weighing just 91 kgs.
Often maligned, Pearce helped the Roosters clinch the 2013 grand final and represented NSW in 19 State of Origin games. He also played for the Prime Minister’s XIII, City Origin and NRL All Stars.
Pearce created multiple headlines on and off the field but was a player teammates enjoyed playing alongside. His final NRL game could have been a 28-20 week one finals loss to Parramatta at Browne Park, Toowoomba, on Sunday, September 12.
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