Roosters 38 Knights 0
"We had our conductor back".
That was how Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson described the triumphant return of Mitchell Pearce, which finished with a standing ovation as he came from the field just before full-time after helping Sydney Roosters off the bottom of the NRL premiership ladder and staking his claim for the NSW halfback jersey.
In his first game of the season after completing an eight-match suspension over his highly publicised antics at a party on Australia Day, Pearce scored a try and had a hand in two others to spark the Roosters to a 38-0 thumping of the Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Blake Ferguson was the beneficiary on both occasions, with the Roosters centre celebrating his selection in the Australia team to play New Zealand at Hunter Stadium next Friday night with a hat-trick of tries.
Ferguson is also expected to be recalled to the Blues side for this year's State of Origin series for the first time since 2013 and Pearce could join him if he maintains the form he showed in his first appearance since last September.
"It has been a long pre-season that is for sure but I have been excited and I can safely say I have been doing everything to a tee and preparing as well as I can and I am proud of myself for that," Pearce said.
"I just wanted to bring a halfback role and what I do for the team. Obviously I have been playing in this side for a long time and I just wanted to give the boys some direction and kick well.
"I was really happy, I felt fit out there besides the cramps at the end, and I felt fast, I felt strong and I was really happy with my game."
He also sent a message to former junior representative team-mate Kieran Foran, the Parramatta half who is on indefinite leave for personal reasons.
"It is horrible. Me and Kieran have been mates since I was eight, he is one of my closest mates and it kills me to see him like that," Pearce said.
"I wish him all the best. It is a tough time when anyone is going through pain like that and to see one of your closest mates, who is normally on the exterior such a strong character ... I am just happy he is getting some help now and my love is with him always."
Pearce has just two more matches for the Roosters against Gold Coast and Canterbury to convince NSW coach Laurie Daley that he is the man to call the shots for the Blues but in his absence no other playmaker has put their hand up for the job.
Blues halfback Trent Hodkinson played opposite Pearce, who was five-eighth for NSW last season, but was largely ineffective in a struggling team which seem destined for a second consecutive wooden spoon after being leapfrogged into 15th place by the Roosters.
After winning just one of the eight matches Pearce had missed, it was obvious from the opening minutes that the Roosters were a different team with the Blues playmaker leading the team around and the 2015 minor premiers appeared much more confident and composed than they had for the previous two months.
The return of New Zealand Test prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also provided a boost for the Roosters, while NSW backrower Boyd Cordner had more impact than in his first appearance of the season last Monday against St George Illawarra.
But it was the influence of Pearce which transformed the Roosters from a team struggling for direction with rookie halves and a teenage fullback to one whose purpose was clear.
Jackson Hastings, who shifted to five-eighth to accommodate Pearce's return, had arguably his best game of the season, while 19-year-old fullback Latrell Mitchell showed why he has been so widely compared to a young Greg Inglis by running 186 metres from 13 carries, including one run in which he pushed off defenders and broke tackles seemingly at will.
"It felt like having Mitchell back allowed a lot more of the players to play their roles," Robinson said. "I thought Jacko played really well tonight in his natural role.
"It is a real credit to Mitchell and what he has done and we have been lucky enough to see when he came back how well he was his talking, how clear he was with his training and how well he sees the game. He has been ready for at least a month, his decision making was really, really good."
With a vocal home crowd cheering them on, the Roosters showed their intent from the opening minutes when Ferguson leapt for a Pearce bomb only to lose the ball trying to ground it in the Newcastle in-goal.
Ferguson didn't have to wait long to make amends when he crossed in the 17th minute after Pearce put Mitchell into a hole near the Knights line and he flung the ball out for the Test debutant to score.
The closest Newcastle came to scoring was when centre Pat Mata'utia had a try disallowed in the 23rd minute after charging through a gaping hole - but Korbin Sims was ruled to have impeded Pearce.
The night only got worse for Sims when he was put on report for a shoulder charge two minutes later that forced Roosters winger Joe Burgess from the field and the Englishman was so wobbly he could not complete a concussion test.
Pearce ran 30 metres to score in the 28th minute after Cordner offloaded to Hastings, who combined with hooker Jake Friend to send the halfback racing for the tryline.
Ahead 14-0 at half-time, the Roosters piled on a further six tries in the second half while keeping the Knights scoreless for the second time in three weeks following their 53-0 thrashing by Brisbane in round seven.
Isaac Liu crossed in the 57th minute off a Hastings pass before Ferguson grabbed his second try in the 65th minute after Ryan Matterson picked up a loose ball and he scored again two minutes later off a Pearce kick.
A double to Friend completed the 38-0 rout.
