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Adam Reynolds turned to video tapes of Mitchell Pearce before making his NRL debut for South Sydney
by: Andrew Webster From: The Daily Telegraph February 07, 2013 12:00AM
NRL All-Star Adam Reynolds. Picture: Jamie Hanson Source: The Daily Telegraph
HE looms as the man most likely to snatch the NSW jumper off Mitchell Pearce's back - yet South Sydney young gun Adam Reynolds says Mitchell Pearce is exactly the type of player he wants to be.
The NRL All Stars playmaker has revealed how he trawled through hours of video of Pearce before making his NRL debut for South Sydney last year.
It paid off: Reynolds was last season's runaway rookie of the year, and is now the man putting the most pressure on Pearce to retain his position in the side to meet Queensland in Origin I on June 5.
"When I was out the year before (in 2011, with injury), I did a lot of video work on Mitchell," the 22-year-old said.
"I was just trying to get my game up to scratch to see what I can improve.
"Watching him helped a lot: his toughness in the game, his kicking game's good, his running game is up to scratch too. I wouldn't doubt him.
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"I don't know him personally - I've met him a few times - but I think he's a wonderful player," the Rabbitohs star said.
"He stands out for his club, and in Origin he plays good football. He's a tough player. He's copped a fair bit of criticism, which I don't think is fair."
Indeed, the hysteria about Reynolds playing Origin this year in place of Pearce can be ascribed to seven straight series defeats at the hands of Queensland.
Nobody cops it in the neck after a series loss quite like the Blues halfback, as Pearce could attest after last year's narrow defeat in the decider at Suncorp Stadium.
That criticism prompted the likes of Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler to publicly endorse Pearce as the long-term halfback.
For all Reynolds' ability, it is understood incoming coach Laurie Daley is loath to blood the young kid from Redfern. Not yet.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Anzac Parade, Pearce is impressing all in pre-season training for the Roosters at Moore Park.
He is settled in his home life, has flicked alcohol, and has set himself the ambitious target of being a part of the Kangaroos squad to play in next year's World Cup in England.
Incidentally, he is only one year older than Reynolds but about to play his seventh season of first grade.
While Reynolds is aware he will probably have to bide his time, he is prepared to place as much pressure on the incumbent NSW halfback.
"I am definitely out to do that," Reynolds said. "But I'm not too worried about looking that far ahead. If I'm playing good footy at Souths, selections will look after themselves."
Daley certainly sees something though, because he roomed Reynolds and Bulldogs five-eighth Josh Reynolds alongside each other in last month's Emerging Blues camp at Coogee."Just to be thrown into that emerging squad was good for me, to experience what Origin is about," he said.
"To be recognised that I could be good enough to play Origin in the future is very humbling."
For now, he has the humbling experience of playing alongside the likes of Cameron Smith, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah in the NRL All Stars side, which plays the Indigenous All Stars at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night.
"I grew up in Redfern and all my mates are indigenous," Reynolds said.
"They are wonderful people, they are very proud of their culture - and as I found out when I was growing up, they are very, very talented."
http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport...-1226572103498
by: Andrew Webster From: The Daily Telegraph February 07, 2013 12:00AM
NRL All-Star Adam Reynolds. Picture: Jamie Hanson Source: The Daily Telegraph
HE looms as the man most likely to snatch the NSW jumper off Mitchell Pearce's back - yet South Sydney young gun Adam Reynolds says Mitchell Pearce is exactly the type of player he wants to be.
The NRL All Stars playmaker has revealed how he trawled through hours of video of Pearce before making his NRL debut for South Sydney last year.
It paid off: Reynolds was last season's runaway rookie of the year, and is now the man putting the most pressure on Pearce to retain his position in the side to meet Queensland in Origin I on June 5.
"When I was out the year before (in 2011, with injury), I did a lot of video work on Mitchell," the 22-year-old said.
"I was just trying to get my game up to scratch to see what I can improve.
"Watching him helped a lot: his toughness in the game, his kicking game's good, his running game is up to scratch too. I wouldn't doubt him.
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"I don't know him personally - I've met him a few times - but I think he's a wonderful player," the Rabbitohs star said.
"He stands out for his club, and in Origin he plays good football. He's a tough player. He's copped a fair bit of criticism, which I don't think is fair."
Indeed, the hysteria about Reynolds playing Origin this year in place of Pearce can be ascribed to seven straight series defeats at the hands of Queensland.
Nobody cops it in the neck after a series loss quite like the Blues halfback, as Pearce could attest after last year's narrow defeat in the decider at Suncorp Stadium.
That criticism prompted the likes of Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler to publicly endorse Pearce as the long-term halfback.
For all Reynolds' ability, it is understood incoming coach Laurie Daley is loath to blood the young kid from Redfern. Not yet.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Anzac Parade, Pearce is impressing all in pre-season training for the Roosters at Moore Park.
He is settled in his home life, has flicked alcohol, and has set himself the ambitious target of being a part of the Kangaroos squad to play in next year's World Cup in England.
Incidentally, he is only one year older than Reynolds but about to play his seventh season of first grade.
While Reynolds is aware he will probably have to bide his time, he is prepared to place as much pressure on the incumbent NSW halfback.
"I am definitely out to do that," Reynolds said. "But I'm not too worried about looking that far ahead. If I'm playing good footy at Souths, selections will look after themselves."
Daley certainly sees something though, because he roomed Reynolds and Bulldogs five-eighth Josh Reynolds alongside each other in last month's Emerging Blues camp at Coogee."Just to be thrown into that emerging squad was good for me, to experience what Origin is about," he said.
"To be recognised that I could be good enough to play Origin in the future is very humbling."
For now, he has the humbling experience of playing alongside the likes of Cameron Smith, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah in the NRL All Stars side, which plays the Indigenous All Stars at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night.
"I grew up in Redfern and all my mates are indigenous," Reynolds said.
"They are wonderful people, they are very proud of their culture - and as I found out when I was growing up, they are very, very talented."
http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport...-1226572103498
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