It’s okay for Johnathan Thurston to come out and say Mitchell Pearce should have stayed at the Roosters and learned from Cooper Cronk, but at what cost to Mitchell’s career?

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I actually commend Mitchell for thumbing his nose at the Roosters and saying ‘thanks for the memories but you’ve shafted me and I’m out of here’.

Of course, I could be left with egg on my face if Cronk goes on to guide the Chooks to a premiership over the next two years.

But I still believe staying at Bondi would have been a career-killer for Mitch, despite what JT says.

I know Thurston was just backing fellow Maroon Cronk – and that’s understandable - but he can’t seriously believe Pearce’s career would be enhanced by remaining at the Roosters.

If he stayed, it would have been the weaker option.

I think he would have sat on the bench for two years waiting for Cronk to retire, with Luke Keary staying at 6.

And what about those games where the Roosters want to use four forwards off the bench to match the opposition’s size?

Does Mitchell slip back to NSW Cup?

Thurston said Pearce could learn from Cronk, but there are no guarantees in rugby league.

What if it didn’t work out with Cronk? Where would that leave Mitch and the Roosters?

Mitch needs to worry about his own career, not go on work experience at age 28.

He still has ambitions to play rep footy and is good enough to do so.

Being half-back, you are the general of the side.

To go from being the boss for 10 years to sitting on the bench is insulting.

Would you cop it at your workplace? Of course not.

Good on him for walking out. He’s done the best thing for himself.

So where should Mitchell head?

Of course, we’d love him at Cronulla

But I just hope he moves to a club that best benefits his career.

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CUT-PRICE HAYNE WORTH THE RISK

Jarryd Hayne’s expected return to Parramatta is a good risk for the Eels – provided they get him at the right price.

If it’s anywhere near his current $1m price tag, you’d have to have a good, long think about it.

At this stage of his career – and given the strides Parramatta have made in recent years – that’s a lot of money.

And they’ve got a couple of good prospects in Clint Gutherson and Bevan French vying for that fullback spot, so they are not in desperate need of a No.1.

Having said all that, if Hayne is available for around half that $1m price tag then I’d be snapping him up.

Any team that has Jarryd Hayne in it is a better team.

I think he’s a terrific player and a match-winner and any club would happily take him at around $500,000-a-season.

KEY DEFECTIONS TOO MUCH FOR KIWIS TO OVERCOME

Kiwi league fans have been putting their size 10s into David Kidwell and his players after their shock World Cup loss to Fiji, but I don’t believe all the criticism is warranted.

Sure, losing to Tonga and Fiji in consecutive weeks is not good enough for a team that had designs on winning the whole thing.

But I think the losses can be largely put down to a weakened roster.

For various reasons there was no Kieran Foran, Jason Taumalolo, Jesse Bromwich, Tohu Harris or Kevin Proctor.

That’s five quality players missing from your starting line-up.

Any team would struggle filling those holes, even Australia.

I’ve said in my very first column for Sporting News that England have the potential to reach the final and now they have the chance to make good on that prediction.

It won’t be easy but I still think they can overcome the Tongans and reach the decider.

Australia will easily account for Fiji, setting the scene for an Ashes-like battle in the final.

ASHES DOUBLE ON THE CARDS

My cricket career, if you can call it that, only extended as far as a middle order slogger in Year 10 at high school.

But I will take a keen interest in this Ashes series and hope the Aussies can start by winning in Brisbane before our Kangaroos complete the double in the World Cup final a week later.