THE Wests Tigers are making a play to return another one of the most famous surnames in the history of the club to Concord in Mitchell Pearce.
The son of champion Balmain Tigers captain Wayne Pearce, “Junior Junior” is currently playing for French club Catalans Dragons in the Super League but has become a target for Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall.
The Wests Tigers initially looked at trying to bring Pearce, 33, to the club prior to Christmas before the negotiations cooled.
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‘STINKS OF DESPERATION’: Wests Tigers chasing Pearce on $1.5m deal
‘I FEAR NO ONE’: Gus fires back at ‘pontificating’ Roosters coach in Suaalii debate
SUITORS: SIX potential NRL landing spots for Wighton after contract bombshell
POWER RANKINGS: Hynes makes Sharks a different beast; Dolphins’ cracks emerge
But with Mitch Moses opting to remain at Parramatta on a five-year $6 million deal, the Wests Tigers are now actively looking at alternative options.
Pearce fits the bill given he’s won a grand final with the Roosters in 2013 and has a wealth of NRL playmaking experience.
A strong organiser who has a quality all-round kicking game and is also a dangerous ballrunner, Pearce ticks plenty of boxes in terms of what the Tigers are in desperate need of.
Since debuting in the NRL in 2007 at age 17, Pearce has played 309 NRL matches (238 with the Roosters and 71 with Newcastle).
A chip off the old block, Pearce is a fitness fanatic who has always trained hard and kept himself in cherry ripe condition.
There has long-been a suggestion Pearce would return to the NRL for a cameo season with the Sydney Roosters if he was to have one last crack in the NRL.
Pearce is believed to have revelled spending time in France since making the move at the end of the 2020 season.
The halfback missed the opening five games of the Super League season with a calf injury before making a return last weekend.
Pearce has played 23 games for Catalans and is signed for next season meaning the Tigers would need to negotiate an exit strategy.
Like we always say with Wests Tigers, we can’t knock them for trying.
GUS’S LATEST NRL FEUD
NICK Politis and Phil Gould are two of the most influential figures in rugby league.
Powerful and well-connected, it’s no surprise the clubs run by these figureheads share a common thread of creating success.
When Politis signed Gould to coach the Roosters from Penrith in 1995 it was the beginning of a tight-knit rapport most thought would always remain.
But over the course of the last 18 months two of the NRL’s heaviest hitters haven’t been on speaking terms.
The genesis of the feud was Latrell Mitchell breaking Joey Manu’s cheekbone at the end of the 2021 season.
Mitchell was suspended for six games and the Roosters were left fuming as Manu’s face took six months to regain full feeling.
Politis took offence at some of Gould’s television commentary in the aftermath of the incident.
Fox League has been told the pair hasn’t spoken since.
Which is significant considering all the successes they’ve enjoyed over the years.
From bringing Brad Fittler to the Roosters in 1996 to when Ricky Stuart won the Tricolours first premiership in 27 years in 2002 and Gould was coaching director, Uncle Nick and Augustus have been through a hell of a lot together.
Why’s it an issue now?
Because Gould and the Roosters are back at war over the defection of Joseph Aukuso Suaalii to the Wallabies and Rugby Australia in 2025.
Plenty of people agreed with Gould’s take on Suaalii’s departure to rugby union on a three-year $5 million plus deal.
But Gould’s “don’t let the door hit you on the a$#e on the way out” line will have only driven a bigger wedge between the once tight-knit allies.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson didn’t miss returning serve at Gould at his weekly pre-game press conference on Wednesday.
Then Gould doubled down on a podcast declaring “I fear no one” and “don’t shoot the messenger”.
The gloves are well and truly off in rugby league’s latest high-profile feud.
Is Wighton a $1M player? | 02:27
SHARKS MOVE TO LOCK IN DALLY M STAR
THE Cronulla Sharks are busily crunching the numbers to ensure they get Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes committed to the black, white and blue for the remainder of his career.
Hynes kicked the door off the hinges in his opening game of the season against arch rivals St George Illawarra submitting an absolute masterclass.
By the time Hynes had finished carving up the Sharks playmaker finished with seven linebreak assists, four try assists, two tackle busts and four offloads.
The Sharks understand how important the Dally M Medallist is to what they’re trying to achieve and will continue working away at striking a deal.
We’re tipping it will happen and will most likely take Hynes through until the end of the 2028 season.
It’s well-known Hynes has been utilising the expertise of mindset coach Jarred Brown for over 12 months now and the results are there for everyone to see.
Brown has a fascinating take on how to best approach life and its challenges based on the nine noble virtues of The Viking Way.
The Sharks look a completely different side with Hynes back calling the shots and running the Steeden.
WHY WIGHTON CHASE IS A TWO-HORSE RACE
THE smart money says Canberra Raiders ace Jack Wighton testing his value on the open market is a two-horse race.
We’re tipping the Dolphins are a huge chance of finally landing their marquee man but the stumbling block is they’ll need to come up with in excess of $1 million per season over the next three years.
On the back of signing Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler for next season, Wighton’s signature would rank as an enormous coup.
The Raiders certainly won’t be letting Wighton walk away from the national capital without making a genuine attempt to try and retain the NSW and Australian centre.
Wighton, 30, is a brilliant runner of the football and a robust defender but the question is whether he’s the right fit to be the Green Machine’s primary organiser.
Kent and Carayannis go at it! | 01:37
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LEGEND TO BE FAREWELLED
THE funeral for South Sydney icon John Sattler will be held on the Gold Coast this Friday.
A host of Rabbitohs royalty including 2014 Clive Churchill Medallist Sam Burgess, champion backrower Bob McCarthy, CEO Blake Solly and head of football Mark Ellison will all be in attendance.
Sattler’s son Scott told Fox League the family also intends to hold a memorial service at Redfern Oval in the next month.
In a fitting tribute to the man who captained the Rabbitohs to four premierships, the Sattler family will scatter some of John’s ashes at the Rabbitohs spiritual home of Redfern Oval.
The way the football gods scripted the narrative for the Bunnies round four win over Manly was eerie.
For starters the week John Sattler passed the NRL draw just happened to dictate the Rabbitohs were facing Manly – the same opponent as when John Bucknall famously broke Sattler’s jaw in the opening minutes of the 1970 grand final.
Then the Rabbitohs went out and conjured a stirring win complete with the majority of the crowd standing to applaud in the 13th minute – the number of the jumper John Sattler made famous.
South Sydney then went on to win 13-12 in golden point with five-eighth Cody Walker scoring the 13th double of his career.
Despite missing five middle forwards including Jai Arrow, Tevita Tatola, Shaq Mitchell, Hame Sele and Saliva Havili, the Bunnies still found a way to win complete with Cameron Murray (wearing jumper no.13) making 51 tackles and Damien Cook making 44 tackles.
After Lachlan Ilias sealed the win with a field goal, a rendition of Sattler signing the South Sydney grand final victory song rang loud and proud around Accor Stadium.
It was a fitting send off for a rugby league champion who bled red and green until the end.
