Pearce has not ruled himself out of Origin contention. Neither have the Roosters. He hasn't tried to put himself ahead of the sky blue jumper by picking and choosing when he plays. None of that. Indeed, those close to him, inside and outside his club, tell you he's angry he's the centre of an Origin selection storm he hasn't even started. The speculation was further fuelled on Monday morning when Maloney was interviewed on Sky Sports Radio's Big Sports Breakfast. "I love 'Pearcey'," said Maloney, who won a premiership alongside Pearce at the Roosters. "I love playing with 'Pearcey'. He's one of the best options for NSW in the halves. Someone told me there was an article saying he didn't want to play. That's his call. If he wanted to, I dare say he'll be there. I'd love to partner up with him again if I get the opportunity." The truth is it's a call Pearce hasn't made.

As for Daley, his stance remains the same: the NSW coach will wait until the last minute to pick his side for game one against Queensland and he's still waiting for a half to shove his hand up and demand selection. Pearce, who sparkled as many expected against the Knights in his return from his eight-match suspension, has matches against the Titans and Bulldogs to impress. It won't get to a situation where Pearce might rule himself out, possibly forgoing the chance to ever play for NSW again. Daley simply won't pick him. The dilemma – for Daley, the Roosters and not least Pearce – isn't how well he's playing. It's whether he's strong enough to withstand the flamethrower directed at him should the Blues falter. Last Friday, News Corp reported that those close to Pearce have apprehensions about him playing Origin so soon after coming out of a rehab clinic, where he started dealing with issues around alcohol.

This is correct and understandable. His family as much as his club – Roosters coach Trent Robinson was also quoted in the story – are worried about the scrutiny a Blues call-up will bring. Just because Pearce is back on the field doesn't mean the issues he's been grappling with since his infamous Australia Day puppy dog encounter have gone away. These are issues he will wrestle with for the rest of his life. The hope, of course, is that the wrestle becomes less brutal as the years go by. When someone walks out of rehab, they don't necessarily leave all the junk of the past behind them. For this reason, there is genuine concern about whether it's too much, too soon for him to play Origin footy. That doesn't come from a place of selfishness for the Roosters who might want more bang for the 750,000 bucks they pay him each year. It comes from a place of love and care.

But, if we're being selfish and worried about having any chance of winning Origin I at ANZ Stadium on June 1, Pearce stands as the preferred option alongside Maloney. Last month, I wrote with tongue firmly planted in cheek that Pearce was the in-form NSW half of the competition so far this season simply because he hadn't played a match. It was supposed to highlight the dearth of options available to Daley as he attempts to wipe away memories of the 50-6 loss to Queensland in the decider at Suncorp Stadium last year. The outraged feedback from some readers was enlightening because it was considered a ringing endorsement of Pearce when it was not. "One of your worst columns ever," wrote one reader. (Believe me, there have been worse). "Were you born in Queensland?" (No, just north of Greg Inglis' home town of Macksville – is that enough?) "In the the immortal words of John McEnroe, 'You cannot be serious'!"

Since then, Maloney has only strengthened his case for selection, despite nagging doubts in Daley's mind about his deficiencies in defence and the image from his last match in 2013 when Queensland ran over the top of him. Let's ask the question again: if not Pearce and Maloney in the halves, then who? Adam Reynolds? Trent Hodkinson? Josh Reynolds? Aidan Sezer? Blake Austin? Brooks? Moses? Moylan? Bird? Maybe even Laurie himself? Someone needs to shove their hand in the air and demand selection. I don't see too many hands. In the next fortnight, it could be Pearce. The only question then is whether he's ready for it.