Official: Knights sign Mitchell Pearce on a 4 year deal

Watson welcomes Knights' pursuit of Pearce


By AAP
5 hours ago



It could cost him a dream NRL halves start but Newcastle recruit Connor Watson has thrown his support behind the Knights' pursuit of ex-Sydney Roosters teammate Mitchell Pearce.

Country NSW utility Watson has made no secret of his desire to secure the Knights No.6 jersey in 2018 after being released a year early by the Roosters and signing a three-season deal with Newcastle.

The 21-year-old knocked back a Wests Tigers offer to replace James Tedesco at fullback to pursue his childhood goal of emulating Andrew Johns by running out in the halves for Newcastle.

Watson welcomes the prospect of NSW playmaker Pearce arriving at Newcastle despite the halves headache it would create.

Besides Watson, ex-NSW halfback Trent Hodkinson, emerging five-eighth Brock Lamb and rookie Jack Cogger are also vying for starting spots for the 2018 season.

Asked about Newcastle's interest in Pearce, Watson said: "It would be good (signing Pearce). He's a world-class player.

"He's played over 12 years of first grade, nearly 250 games, won the competition and played Origin.

"He'd be an awesome acquisition if that happens. We will see."

Watson said five-eighth was his preferred position despite filling in admirably for injured Roosters fullback Michael Gordon this season.

"That's the plan. That was a big reason why I came up here," he said of starting at No.6 for Newcastle.

"I could have stayed at the Roosters and kept playing off the bench and not played that many minutes.

"But I think the biggest opportunity was up here.

"There are no guarantees in rugby league, I just have to train my best."

Watson - who played 38 games for the Roosters from 2016 - will reunite with former Tricolours Aidan Guerra and Shaun Kenny-Dowall at Newcastle.


https://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/11/10/03/34/watson-welcomes-knights-pursuit-of-pearce
 
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From Fox Sports

PRE-SEASON training is underway but the transfer market is still in full swing.

Cronulla have signed Matt Moylan, with James Maloney’s move to Penrith to be confirmed in the coming days.

Maloney has secured the pay rise he’s been seeking, with his three-year Panthers deal worth around $800,000 a season.

The next piece of the player movement puzzle could be Mitchell Pearce.

Cronulla, Manly and Newcastle are ready to pounce on Pearce should the Roosters No.7 decide to request a release from his contract, due to Cooper Cronk signing with the Tricolours for the next two years. Should Pearce request a release, he’ll trigger a chain of events set to impact several clubs.

The Knights are watching with close interest.

They will start the year with Brock Lamb and Connor Watson as their first choice halves pairing, leaving Trent Hodkinson the odd man out.

It’s no secret the Knights have been trying to offload the former NSW Origin half, who is on a deal worth an estimated $600,000 a season. Hodkinson has dug his heels in and will see out his deal for at least the short term but should an opportunity at another club come his way, he’ll be encouraged to explore it.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/93d44d811f13dbe8af6e3ac6fba7e46a
 
You can't trust speculation in the papers. They don't get the inside skinny on how they go at training!
 
Gotta lol @ Maloney saying the panthers are organising a 3rd party deal for him before he'll sign.

Up their with Bennetts now "now roberts is off the drugs" comment.
 
But TPD's are meant to be at arms length, not for remuneration for players to play for a club. :giggle::giggle:
I think he's saying that Penrith are currently registering the TPDs with the NRL before he can sign. Not that Penrith are doing some brown paper bag.. although I might be wrong.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
The Sydney press in particular never seem to have a clue about what is going on at the Knights.
Toohey is really the only one with inside information, and I suspect that might have dried up now that Wests are in charge.
The season previews they do every year are always laughable.
 
http://www.sportingnews.com/au/leag...ns-best-17/12grk8xzw068o1wcpl1ecfse7c/slide/1

As always the Lurker should be taken with a hefty salt shaker handy, but this is certainly a worry if he's halfway close to the mark:


Pearce signing would be a ca-lamb-ity for Brock’s progress

The Knights are right up there in the battle to sign Mitchell Pearce - but it could come at a cost.

Newcastle are one of the few clubs who can afford out-of-favour Pearce for 2018 - and one of the few the Roosters will release him to as they don’t see them as a title threat.

But I’m hearing that if Pearce moves up the freeway, boom youngster Brock Lamb will ask for a release.

With fellow Roosters playmaker Connor Watson also joining the Roosters on big money, Lamb knows he will be the odd man out should Pearce come on board.

At only 20, Lamb is a genuine star in the making but coach Nathan Brown is desperate for experience to guide his young team around - thus the battle for Pearce.

If he does get a release for 2018, Lamb will have no shortage of suitors, with Manly leading the way.
 
http://www.sportingnews.com/au/leag...ns-best-17/12grk8xzw068o1wcpl1ecfse7c/slide/1

As always the Lurker should be taken with a hefty salt shaker handy, but this is certainly a worry if he's halfway close to the mark:


Pearce signing would be a ca-lamb-ity for Brock’s progress

The Knights are right up there in the battle to sign Mitchell Pearce - but it could come at a cost.

Newcastle are one of the few clubs who can afford out-of-favour Pearce for 2018 - and one of the few the Roosters will release him to as they don’t see them as a title threat.

But I’m hearing that if Pearce moves up the freeway, boom youngster Brock Lamb will ask for a release.

With fellow Roosters playmaker Connor Watson also joining the Roosters on big money, Lamb knows he will be the odd man out should Pearce come on board.

At only 20, Lamb is a genuine star in the making but coach Nathan Brown is desperate for experience to guide his young team around - thus the battle for Pearce.

If he does get a release for 2018, Lamb will have no shortage of suitors, with Manly leading the way.

If you needed further proof this idiot is a dribbler there it is, like he would have any idea of what Lamb may or may not do.

Watson fills the vacant Centre spot, Lamb stays in the halfs (or vice versa) and then problem solved.
 
Brown wouldn't sign Pearce without knowing full well what Lamb is thinking. Watson would be pretty small for centre but the Roosters used him at lock sometimes so maybe.
 
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