Pearce and Carney ready to fight for Blues No.7
May 9th 2008 08:57
Todd Carney represents the future for NSW
Young guns Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney will once again go head to head less than a week after playing each other in City-Country.
The future Of NSW will be on display tomorrow when Pearce's Roosters collide with Carney's Raiders.
Both have been outstanding this season and their matchup tomorrow could at last decide who will be wearing the Blues No.7 jersey in the near future.
Pearce in particular has shined under the guidance of League legend Brad Fittler, hence his combination with Braith Anasta looks so synchronized to say the least.
He has demonstrated the necessary leadership skills necessary in Origin football to be NSW next halfback.
Commanding the likes of Myles, O'Meley and Mason around the park seems to have brought out the best in the 19 year old.
Being around such seasoned and professional players, Pearce has learned the tricks of the trade in NRL football and is now handling his first full year in top grade with great composure.
In the City-Country game, Pearce did all that was required and better still, he followed coach Tim Sheen's game plan with little help from fellow Rooster, Braith Anasta.
He even set up Jared Hayne's try with a delightful little crossfield bomb that left Country winger Anthony Quinn with severe troubles.
At the end of the day, Pearce has one challenge remaining to unsettle the NSW selectors into picking him for Origin.
That challenge is in the form of Raider Todd Carney.
Like Pearce, Carney has showcased immense talent and verve to steel the Canberra Raiders to unprecedented heights in recent times.
Although his off-field problems have dented his reputation as an individual, Carney seems to have now moved on from the past and is currently playing sublime football.
His best performance come against the Wests Tigers when the Raiders were behind by 14 points at half-time.
40 minutes later Carney displays to all why he his probably the best talent coming out of the nations capital since the days of Ricky Stuart and Mal Meninga.
In that second-half, Carney scored a superb individual try and inspired the Raiders to an unlikely victory over the Tigers.
He alone knows that he his the sole weapon of a Canberra outfit that lacks firepower but has it in loads in terms of belief and courage.
Carney is a team man and the Raiders recently resigning him is a massive coup for the club.
But like Pearce, Carney faces a tough challenge tomorrow against the most intimidating pack in the competition.
Carney does not have the luxury of a monster forward pack that consistently gets over the advantage line. The Raiders usually rely on unpredictability and flair in their attack.
Although the return of Costigan is an added bonus, the Raiders pack really doesn't offer much grunt
However, their loss to the Melbourne Storm a couple of week ago emphasised the supreme potential of both Carney and the Raiders.
They were playing like men possessed and really should have won that match but in the end lacked the necessary experience to get the job done.
But Carney will continue to grow and he alone knows that he represents the Roosters deadliest threat tomorrow afternoon.
Overall, i rate Carney the better player at the moment but it will be very interesting to see how his enemy in Pearce responds after such a postive performance for City last week.
He will have learn't alot from that effort and don't be surprised if he pulls the strings more than Anasta in his bid to be apart of the toughest arena Rugby league has to offer.
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