This was supposed to be Johnathan Thurston's emotional farewell to State of Origin, and maybe a final appearance for two of Queensland's other perpetual conquerors of the Blues, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, as well.Â
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Queensland take series in decisive fashion
Queensland made it 11 wins out of the last 12 series to send Johnathan Thurston out a winner.
Unfortunately, you can now very likely add Mitchell Pearce to that list. Nine years and 18 Origin games after his debut as a teenager in 2008 the only conclusion that can be made is that it just hasn't worked out.
Where to from here? Back to Adam Reynolds? To a kid like Nathan Cleary with an eye to the future? That is a discussion for next year but for whoever is coaching the Blues by then, it must be time to go in a different direction.Â
Pearce was far from the only underwhelming performer in a NSW jumper at Suncorp Stadium. Error prone, they were veritably blown away either side of a brief fightback after half-time. But his modest interstate record, the faith shown in him and the number on his back made even Pearce confess that winning was the only way forward. Certainly, losing like this was never going to do.Â
NSW advisor Peter Sterling had implored Pearce in the lead-up to the game to make himself heard if the Blues' plans were appearing to go awry at Suncorp Stadium. That description was putting it mildly for the Blues' problems in the first half as they were ambushed from the outset on Wednesday night. In the face of the onslaught there was only so much the halfback's pointing and shouting could achieve.
The more pressing issue was not with his mouth but his foot. Pearce repeatedly found Slater or Dane Gagai on the full, making life easier than need be for the Maroons' three-quarters. On social media, that most unforgiving of arenas, they quipped that he couldn't find grass at Nimbin. Pearce was firing a pop gun at his foot while Cronk, at his brilliant and instinctive best, was hitting bullseyes.
It didn't get a great deal better for the No.7 in the second half. Just as the Blues had somehow given themselves a sniff it was he who raced out of the NSW defensive line and allowed brilliant debutant Cameron Munster to race away, ultimately leading to Valentine Holmes' third try of the night.Â
![Last chance: This may well be the last time Mitchell Pearce pulls on a New South Wales jersey.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170714172237im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/a/3/5/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxa1mf.png/1499897120637.jpg)
There was typically no lack of effort. As the Maroons pushed for the match winner Pearce came from the other side of the field to hit Cronk hard and then cleaned up a kick in the in-goal. According to the GPS tracking results shown by Channel 9, he covered more ground on the night than any other NSW player. They need more from him than that, though.
His shortcomings at this level have clearly been amplified by the great playmakers who have shone opposite him over the years. But that doesn't change the fact that his time is surely up.
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