Phil Gould has told Super League star Mitchell Pearce to stay away from the NRL amid talks of Pearce joining the Sydney Roosters.
Gould has previously made headlines by saying “England can’t be Samoa” as well as saying St Helens would be battered by Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge.
Now on Wide World of Sports, he has told Pearce to stay in France:
“Stay there! I can’t believe he’s considering it. He’s a good guy, I’ve played a lot with him, but he would be living the dream overseas. He’d be loving it.
“To come back here and be a half-back, we just spoke about Luke Brooks, how much they scrutinise everything they do.”
He also said the move almost happened last year: “I know that the end of last season, heading into 2023, he had a couple of opportunities to come back to the NRL. The thought was, I can’t do that, I’m not ready but that was for one year to come back into the NRL and finish your career off. It was kind of like that didn’t appeal to him at all.
“Here we are 12 months later and they’re saying he’s going to come back next year. I’d be stunned. I would be stunned.
“I’m stunned that the Roosters think that’s a solution to their issues. That stuns me even more. That they think Mitchell Pearce at this age is a solution to their issues.
“I’ve got no idea why they want him to come back. No idea. They got rid of him years ago and sent him to Newcastle. Sent him packing to Newcastle. I’ve got no idea.
“I just don’t get what the Roosters see in that decision. To me, Sam Walker’s their future. And it’s been quite obvious since he’s been out, they’ve lost all their ad lib, they’ve lost all their spark, they’ve lost their spontaneity. It’s gone back into just playing point to point and very structured and very slow. It’s very predictable.
“So, Sam Walker is their future. I would be stunned if Mitchell Pearce comes back and it’s certainly not the answer for the Roosters.”
