MITCHELL Pearce has become the fall guy for NSW’s dismal last decade in State of Origin but according to Fox Sports NRL guru Ben Ikin that analysis is so off the mark it’s laughable.

Weighing into the debate over whether or not Pearce should be selected for this year’s series, Ikin was adamant the Roosters halfback was the Blues’ best option even if he would prefer not to play so he can concentrate on club football.

To put the constant criticism over Pearce’s Origin career in perspective, Ikin drew a direct comparison with Queensland superstar Cooper Cronk, saying that if they swapped jerseys throughout their Origin careers, the results would have been the same.

“He’s been in a NSW side that has always been well beaten and he’s the one who’s copped all the criticism,” Ikin said on the Fox Sports Market Watch podcast.

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“It’s on his shoulders where the blame has been laid and I think that’s pretty unfair because if you take Cooper Cronk out of that Queensland side and you put Mitchell Pearce in it I daresay we’re talking about Mitchell Pearce today as one of the great players.”

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That’s a staggering claim given Pearce is 0-6 in the Origin series he’s participated in, compared to Cronk, who’s 5-1.

Since slipping into the Maroon No.7 jersey in 2012, following the retirement of Darren Lockyer, Cronk has started 10 matches and Queensland have won seven of them.

Pearce by contrast has started all 15 of his Origin games since being called into the NSW side as a teen prodigy in 2008, winning just four of those clashes.

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Ikin said for the Blues to have their best chance of victory in this year’s series, Laurie Daley should revert back to a Pearce-Maloney pairing, which was a losing combination in a very tight 2013 series.

That would have to be facilitated by the axing of Trent Hodkinson, a move Daley seems reticent to make after the key role the Newcastle halfback played in the Blues’ only recent triumph two years ago.

“I’d probably go back to Pearce at halfback and play James Maloney at five-eighth,” Ikin said.

“I know it’s another example of NSW flip-flopping between halves combinations, I don’t know how many halves combinations they’ve had in the time Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston have been the mainstays for the Maroons (the Blues have used four combinations in that time, a new one every year) but truth be told I think James Maloney’s come out and said he loves playing with Mitchell Pearce.

“Although Maloney wasn’t strong in the City-Country game he’s been fantastic for the Sharks.”

On pure ability it’s difficult to argue against Ikin’s point that Pearce is NSW’s best option, a case the Roosters star clearly made in a superb performance in his first game back for the club.

However, question marks loom about Pearce’s ability to cope with the intense scrutiny the spotlight of an Origin series would inevitably shine on him with so few games under his belt following an eight week suspension for his infamous Australia Day antics.

Ikin disagrees that now would be the worst time to throw Pearce back into the furnace, saying the lessons the 27-year-old would have learned in his period away from the game would have a galvanising effect when things get tough.

“When you hit the lowest of low points, nothing can get worse, he’s been in the depths of despair and now he’s out there playing football,” Ikin said.

Mitchell Pearce is mocked by Queensland players after a Maroons try. Source: News Corp Australia

“I reckon part of what he would have learnt in the process of rehabilitating is to block out that noise.

“Now I’m not saying the noise that was around Mitchell Pearce when he misbehaved on Australia Day was unfounded, absolutely the criticism needed to come his way, but if to get yourself right you need to learn to block out that noise, you carry that with you for the rest of your life.

“That’s for me what would help him if he was selected in the NSW Origin side.”

The writer is on Twitter @glover—benny

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