The Wests Tigers are preparing to offer Mitchell Pearce a two-year deal worth $1.5 million in what’s being slammed a “desperate” move from the battling club.
The premiership-winning halfback left the Knights abruptly at the end of 2021 to join French Super League club the Catalans Dragons.
Pearce turns 34 next week but the Tigers halves, Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi, have struggled badly this season in the club’s winless start through four rounds.
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The move from the Tigers comes after they missed out on Storm superstar Cameron Munster, Eels No. 7 Mitchell Moses and England halfback George Williams.
Fox League reporter James Hooper broke the news on NRL 360 and revealed the Tigers first had a crack at Pearce just before Christmas.
“It stinks of desperation,” co-host Paul Kent said.
“What it does is it delays this whole five-year plan they’ve got. Every Tigers fan got sold on the five-year plan?
“Sheensy there for two years then Benji to take over for three more years and the best solution they come up with to fix their problems is to go to a halfback that hasn’t played in the competition for several years who is about to turn 34 years old, and chuck the two halves they’ve got out, one of which is on $1 million a year.”
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But Braith Anasta was a fan of the move and said Pearce could transform the club overnight.
“No disrespect to the halves they’ve got there at the moment but he’d do a better job than both of them,” Anasta said.
“”He is getting a bit (old). But he’s a leader, he’s very dominant which is what they, he’s a traditional half and I think he’d bring a lot of direction to the side which they don’t have, he’d play off the back of Koroisau.”
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Tigers legend Steve Roach saw both sides of the argument.
“They need someone, they need an organiser because they’re not going great at the moment,” Roach said.
“He’s been a great player and a premiership winner but it goes to show how desperate people are for a No. 7.”
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