The Odd Couple… James Maloney & Mitchell Pearce

By Dan Hutton on May 2, 2014 in People

This month The Beast caught up with Sydney Roosters star halves pairing James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce, as they continue their premiership defence…

Where are you boys originally from?
Mitchell: I’m from Sydney. I grew up near Hornsby and I’ve been at the Roosters since I was 16. Jimmy’s the opposite; he’s from the country.
James: I was born out at Orange, in the central west, and grew up there until I was nine, then we moved up to the Central Coast. Mum and Dad are at Green Point, on the way out to Terrigal from Gosford. I did the rest of my growing up there until I came to Sydney when I was 20.

Where are you both living these days?
MP: I was in the east for quite a while, but I recently moved over to the north side with my missus. It’s a bit quieter over there.
JM: I’m down in Maroubra at the moment. It’s a little bit quieter compared to some of the other parts of the Eastern Suburbs, but it’s good. I’ve got the two young kids and the missus and it’s where we call home.

What drove you to move over to the north side?
MP: I got a unit there when I was younger. My manager lived over that side. It’s not a bad spot; it’s nice and quiet. I was in the east for a bit and I was single at the time. It was good fun, but with a girlfriend it’s nice and quiet over there.

Have the Manly recruiters noted that you’re over there in the north side?
MP: Mate, I don’t know. I don’t want to go there; they’re our enemies.

What do you love about the Eastern Suburbs?
MP: It’s a great area. It’s great to place to live and be situated as a footy club. You look at where a lot of the other clubs are and I think we’re pretty fortunate to be in this area. When we’re flying we get plenty of support, we’ve just got to keep winning otherwise it drops off pretty fast.
JM: I think the lifestyle is great. You’ve got the beach just down the road and I think everyone seems a lot happier. When there’s good weather and you can duck down the beach it just seems to be a better vibe than being out at Campbelltown.

Do either of you surf?
JM: I do, but I don’t got out there as much as I’d like now. Obviously with the kids every time I go to the beach I’m watching them on the sand.

How old are your kids?
JM: The eldest, Kade, is four and the little one, Leila, just turned two.

At the start of 2013 season did you think that you were going to win the premiership?
JM: I probably hoped so, but whether you believe it with 100% conviction, I don’t think I did at the start of the season, but when we started holding a few sides scoreless, I think that was when the belief really started kicking in
MP: Yeah, we knew we had a great side obviously, but we didn’t really know how we were going to go until we started playing. Probably mid-season we started to get a bit of momentum and confidence that we could kick on with it. At the start of the year I thought we’d be in the top 8 but I didn’t think we’d go all the way.

What are your feelings this year?
JM: I think we’re playing the right sort of football but the challenge is going to be more demanding this year. I think once you’ve got that tag of premiers everyone gets up to play you each week and lifts the bar and that’s going to make it more challenging.
MP: I think we’re going okay. The next month the footy is going to be massive for us. If we can get a bit of a roll and gather a bit of momentum in the next few weeks, and get our confidence sky high again, we’ll be a chance.

Which club is your biggest threat?
MP: I think Manly are going to be right up there again. Every time we play them it’s such a tough game. I think they’re one of the benchmarks. Obviously Souths are in a bit of slump but I’m sure they will pull through, and Melbourne and Brisbane will go okay as well, but you never really know until the end of the year.
JM: I probably think Manly again too. I thought last year they might have been lacking a bit of depth from their roster, but they’ve just got a knack of turning up. They’re also physical and hard to beat; they’re just one of those sides.

There are a lot of superstars at the Roosters at the moment, taking up a lot of the salary cap; do you think the club is going to be in for a few lean years in the future because of this?
MP: There’s no doubt you’ve got to ride it while you’ve got it, I suppose, but look at a club like Manly and they’ve been able to keep going well over a long period of time. It’s up to the staff to manage it well. I’m not too educated with that but hopefully we can keep as many of the players in this side together as we can.

Do you feel like having won the premiership last year, the pressure’s off now and that’s going to allow you to play better footy at the end of this season?
JM: Look, perhaps. With Robbo (coach Trent Robinson) coming in I think they’re really developing a good junior squad. The first grade side at the moment’s very young. There are a lot of the boys coming through like Kane Evans and Dylan Napa, and while you’ve got those guys coming through you’re never going to lack that depth or have those lean years. I think the club’s doing really well at the moment.

Are there any young blokes coming that we should be keeping an eye on?
MP: Jackson Hastings is going good in the Under 20s and Tautau Moga has been out for a couple of years with some really bad injuries, but he’s been back at training. He hasn’t lost a thing. He’s such a natural player. I think everyone had forgotten about him but he’s definitely one to look out for in the future.

Is Hastings a relative of the great Kevin Hastings?
MP: Yeah, he’s Kevin’s son.
JM: And he’s a Mitchell Pearce protégé.

Speaking of famous fathers, when you first started playing NRL did you feel a lot of pressure being the son of Wayne Pearce?
MP: A little bit at the start, yeah. I didn’t really like the attention. I just didn’t feel I deserved it, but I don’t really think about it too much anymore. I’m more proud as I get older. Obviously you respect your parents all the time, and as you get older you get closer to them.

Have you tried to convince Sonny Bill to stay on at the Roosters at the end of the season?
JM: He was going to go last year and I convinced him to stay for one more, so I think that’s about where we draw the line. We’re just happy to have him this year.

Do you really take credit for convincing him to stay?
JM: I did it. 100% I did it.

What did you say to convince him?
JM: What was said we’ll keep between me and him but it was a very personal kind of chat. I definitely was the one though.

Have either of you ever considered switching to rugby?
MP: At the end of my league career, going to France or somewhere like that sounds nice, but I’ve never really played much union. To be honest, I don’t really like watching the game that much. I just find some of it boring. I’m a leaguey through and through.

How about you, James?
JM: Look, if the pay cheque’s big enough I suppose anyone would say yes.

What position would you play?
JM: As far out of it as I could, maybe on the wing. I’ll just kick it every time they give it to me.

Whose recruitment last year was most influential: Williams, Jennings or Maloney?
MP: Jimmy Maloney. He was massive for us. For me, playing alongside Jimbo has been awesome. Jimmy signed before a lot of those other guys and I think that helped get some of the other signings over the line. It wasn’t really spoken about as much, but I think the impact Jimmy had on our team last year was massive.

Would you agree with that Jim?
JM: Yeah, it probably wasn’t what I offered on the field but like Junior said, I think I signed first and then obviously knowing that I was coming here lured Sonny and Jenko (laughs).

Who do you prefer playing alongside: James Maloney or Todd Carney?
MP: I love playing with both of them. Shit question. They’re both great players, great company and good blokes. If you strike up a good combination with another half it’s pretty unique.

Peacey, you haven’t had the happiest time in State of Origin thus far; is this the year that you get your retribution?
MP: I haven’t thought about it too much. It’s a bit of a cliché but I seriously haven’t. It can take up a lot of your mind space and that’s a little bit detrimental I think at times. I think if you just take each day at a time and each game at a time, it sounds like a cliché but it’s the only way. If you’re playing good footy and preparing well, whatever comes up, you will be better in a better position than if you’re overthinking it.

How much does winning an Origin mean to you?
MP: Mate, it would be awesome. Obviously Jimmy and I were both part of it last year. It’s not great getting criticised as a team and no one likes NSW being seen as shithouse; it’s disappointing. It would definitely be pretty special if we could do it.

Jimmy, did you sign for the Roosters knowing that if you played outside of Pearcy you’d be a good chance of getting a blue jersey?
JM: I think I’ve said it plenty of times that playing with Mitchell was the reason for me signing, but in terms of Origin it wasn’t a big part of it. That said, to get a start for NSW off the back of it was obviously pretty pleasing.

Do you reckon you’re a good shot to make the side again this year?
JM: Junior will probably be there so hopefully that will help me. I’m just going to knuckle down with Roosters and see what happens. I’d love the opportunity again but just have to wait and see.

As good as wining an Origin series would be, do you reckon anything’s going to top winning the grand final last year?
MP: I reckon the grand final win is the best feeling I’ve ever had. You hear people talk about how good it is and you watch it as a kid, but to actually do it was the best feeling I’ve had. It was pretty indescribable. I haven’t had a baby but they reckon it’d pretty close to that feeling.

Can you talk us through the week after winning the grand final?
JM: Yeah, it was good. Every day seemed to roll into the next. It was just one big party, but a few of the boys went longer than me. Obviously with a couple of kids I had to slow down, and seven days after the grand final I had my wedding on, so that sort of pulled me up. I pulled up about Tuesday morning I think, after starting on Sunday evening – she was a solid slog.
MP: Yeah, it was a great week. The high just never left me. Normally when you have a big win you sort of you feel a bit flat again two hours later, but it just never stopped. The feeling back at the leagues club, the amount of happy people who were there when we went out on the balcony and just the whole atmosphere, it was amazing. After the grand final it’s like all of a sudden that’s the end of it, you’ve got what you came for and no one can ever take it away from you – that’s the best feeling about it.

Do you sometimes wish that you were a lock like your old man so that you weren’t in the limelight so much and copping all the grief when NSW loses?
MP: I’d rather be a halfback, that’s for sure. Being in the forwards watching the way our forwards get bashed every week, I’d hate to be a player in the middle. I’m happy being a half back, mate. Us halfbacks are probably overrated when things are going right and it gets pretty cruel when they’re going bad, but that’s just the way it is; you take if good with the bad.

I believe your old man was quite an accomplished lock back in his day too James; is that correct?
JM: Yeah, apparently. I don’t know too much about it. Dad never said too much but I’ve heard from a few people that he was a pretty tough country footballer.

Does your old man give you much advice these days Pearcey?
MP: He gives me a fair bit of advice, and not just about footy. I’ve got closer to them as I’ve gotten older. I think you take it for granted a bit when you’re younger but as you get older you find yourself going back to them a fair bit more. It’s good to have them around.

Before your old man passed away, was he in your ear a bit Jim?
JM: He used to always coach me in footy growing up so he’s probably my biggest influence. He definitely helped me a lot growing up.

How seriously did you guys take the World Club Challenge earlier this year?
JM: This year we really wanted to win it. I think sides often go over there to England, it’s a bit of a trip and sometimes you can get a little bit excited with just being away, but the fact we didn’t get a trip out of it or anything like that made us a bit more focused.

Who’s the biggest pest in the Roosters squad?
MP: Your man over there (points to Maloney).
JM: Aiden Guerra is the biggest pest. At least when I pester I’m funny, but he’s not.

Who’s the toughest halves pairing in the NRL to play against?
MP: We always have a laugh about it when we play Manly, but Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans are tough players and great players as well.
JM: I think they probably play very different styles but it works for them. Kieran Foran’s obviously very physical and straight and DCE has got a bit more finesse and flamboyance. Mixed with the players they’ve got around them I think they’re always a challenge.

If you could choose one player that you never had to tackle again who would it be?
MP: I used to say Tony Williams. I particularly used to hate tackling him when he was at Manly, but it’s still not fun now he’s at the Bulldogs.
JP: I try to get away from Dave Taylor. He’s trampled me that many times I’m sick of it. He’s quite fast and a bit elusive as well, and I can’t even wrap my arms around one of his legs.

With the Alex MacKinnon incident in mind, do you guys get worried about serious injuries?
MP: It’s not something you can go out on the field thinking about. It’s not something I’d say I’ve ever gone out and worried about but when you hear about something like that, it sort of makes you feel sick. I think everyone was obviously taken back by it. None of us can really remember too many injuries like that.
JM: Obviously accidents and unfortunate things happen, but it’s not something you think about and I think there are a lot of rules being moulded around player safety at the moment, so you’re in pretty safe hands.

Is there anyone in the Roosters squad that doesn’t have a tattoo?
JM: There are only a couple of us – me, Mitch Aubo, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. We went through it one day on the bus and I think there were only four or five of us.

Do you reckon you will end up getting one?
JM: No, I don’t think so. I thought about it, we spoke about premiership tatts, obviously a few of the boys got them, but I probably change clubs too often.

Who are your role models?
MP: My parents are a big one, but in terms of footballers, I love Andrew Johns as a player. When I was growing up he was the king and I used love watching him play.
JM: I was probably the same. When we were growing up Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Darren Lockyer were probably the three guys playing in similar positions that you looked up to.

If you weren’t playing footy, what do you reckon you’d be doing now?
MP: Mate, I don’t know. I wouldn’t have a clue.
JM: He’d be at the Alison Road intersection on Anzac Parade washing windscreens. Before I started the footy full-time I was doing my building apprenticeship so I’d just be doing that, I’d say. I’d done all the TAFE side of it so I’ve probably got about another 12 months on the job until I’m fully qualified.

Do you support any charities?
JM: The Roosters get behind the Steggle’s Charity Nest and we have a fair bit to do with the Randwick Children’s Hospital.

Do you have any other sporting skills?
MP: I used to do Little Athletics when I was younger and I was a pretty good runner. I’m glad I’m playing team sport now though. I used to hate it. It was fun, but I used to hate the training. I’m not a massive fan of individual sports.

What about you, Jim?
JM: I used to do a bit of boxing, ex golden gloves.

Are you fishing for an offer on Sonny Bill’s undercard or something?
JM: I think I’ll get the headline.

What do you boys get up to in your spare time?
MP: Not much during the year. When you have your days off just try to recover. It also depends on what day you play on the weekend. If you play on the Saturday or Sunday you mainly just relax. I suppose a lot of our time is consumed by training, so you’re around the group of guys at the club and luckily they’re all good blokes. I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend too.
JM: My young family obviously takes up a lot of my spare time. I try to spend as much time as I can with them. Other than that don’t mind a hit around the golf course or go for a bit of a paddle and a surf.

Do you have favourite course around here?
JM: I play down at The Coast at Little Bay.

Do you have any favourite haunts around the Eastern Suburbs?
JM: We go for a feed at The Cubby House at Randwick every now and then and I don’t mind going down for a punt down the Sands Hotel.
MP: I like Courtyard Cafe on Coogee Bay Road. The owner, Dave Martin, is a good bloke and he’s a good mate of the boys, so I go down there a little bit. There are plenty of cafes around the Eastern Suburbs. There’s nothing better on a day off than sitting around and chewing the fat.

Do you get to the Bondi cafes with Aiden Guerra and mince about up there?
MP: We’re not cool enough to go down with him. He doesn’t let us down there.

Who’s his crew?
MP: Buddy Franklin and Lara Bingle.

In an ideal world what does the future hold for Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney?
MP: Hopefully I’ll finish the season off well, have a good off-season trip at the end of the year and just be happy in general. Obviously I’d like to keep improving as a player and as a person and just do my best; that’s all you can do, I suppose.
JM: I’d probably like to finish off a good career – it doesn’t need to be a superstar one, just something that I’m happy with and to be proud of – and grow older with a good family and a few little kids. That would be terrific.