MELBOURNE are interested in signing Mitchell Pearce.

The problem is they would need to move several deck chairs in order for the deal to take place.

But it’s understood the Storm are in a better financial position than most would expect due to the departure of Cooper Cronk and Jordan McLean.

Pearce is without a club for 2018 after being granted a release from the Roosters following their recruitment of Cooper Cronk.

Pearce is very much a consideration for the Storm but they face some stiff competition for his signature.

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It’s no secret Manly and Newcastle are going hard for the No.7 but Storm skipper Cameron Smith believes Pearce would be right at home if he decided to fill the vacancy Cronk has left.

“Mitch is a wonderful player. I think he’s a wonderful halfback,” Smith said. “He’s been a representative halfback for a long time now; he’s played 270-odd first-grade games. He’s a pretty special player.

“Only 27, why wouldn’t you want to be looking at him as a halfback for your team knowing now that he’s not going to be at the Roosters?

“There’s obviously been a handful of clubs tossed up concerning (Pearce’s) future and them willing to look at him being on their books next year.

“If he was keen to come to Melbourne, I’d certainly put my hand up and say, yeah, we’d love to have you. We’ve got Brodie there but he’s played three first-grade games.

“We’ve got Cameron Munster playing six who is still relatively new to that position - he’s played one full season.

“We’ve got two young kids there playing in pretty critical positions for us. I think you’d be crazy not to have a look at the opportunity to get Mitchell Pearce’s services for next year.”

From a financial standpoint, the Knights would be the most lucrative option for Pearce to take.

Cameron Munster is tackled by Mitchell Pearce.

But with a point to prove to the Roosters for signing Cronk over the top of him, Manly and Melbourne are far more competitive choices.

Former premiership winning playmaker Matthew Johns said on the Triple M Grill Team, if Pearce is chasing a premiership, the choice is simple.

“It would be one where Mitchell has gone there on less money,” Johns said of a move to Melbourne.

“If you want to win a competition next year, Melbourne is the place to go.

“That’s the big decision he wants to make.”

The Sea Eagles are considered the front runners for Pearce’s signature with Trent Barrett in need of a halfback for 2018 after releasing Blake Green to join the Warriors.

After Kieran Foran left the club, Cherry-Evans floundered for 12 months before Green moved from the Storm.

According to Johns, the addition of Pearce running the show will only aid Cherry-Evans.

“Cherry-Evans plays like a six,” Johns explained.

“The traditional way of half-five-eighth is you don’t split the field and play left and right. The traditional method was the halfback ran the show and the six would sit back and relax and play what he sees. That’s how Daly Cherry-Evans plays.

“Look at when Daly played his best football right at the start – he had Kieran Foran steering traffic and also had Glenn Stewart outside him.

“He had a lot of creatives around him which allowed him to feed the ball or take off and run. Daly’s running game is his strength.”