This is the seventh column Sharks captain Paul Gallen has written for Sporting News. You can read why he skewers QLD's hypocrisy over Fifita here.

Let me get one thing straight right from the get-go – I don’t hold anything against Mitchell Pearce for choosing Newcastle over the Sharks.

MORE: Promoting juniors, keeping current stars at heart of Manly's failed Pearce pursuit | Mitchell Pearce to sign big-money deal with the Knights, reports

I backed him in walking away from the Roosters when they went and signed another halfback.

And I said I’d respect whatever decision he came up with in regards to his future.

But while he will be well compensated financially at the Knights, I will say he has taken a huge risk footy-wise in signing on with the current wooden spooners.

In my opinion, Newcastle are two or three years away from being a consistent top eight side.

As for winning competitions, well, I just can’t see that happening for a long, long time.

At Cronulla, Pearcey would have be joining a club that has enjoyed recent premiership success and are regular finalists.

He’d been surrounded by rep players and premiership winners.

At Newcastle it will be on his shoulders to return the club to its former glory.

At the Roosters, Mitchell shared a dressing-room with internationals and State of Origin players.

That won’t be the case at the Knights and I fear Mitch’s rep career may be a casualty of having to do it all at club level.

The money and long-term deal at Newcastle was impossible to knock back at this stage of his career.

I just hope his footy doesn’t suffer as a result.