Oct 23, 2021

Advertisement Catalans Dragons officials are banking on Mitchell Pearce continuing the legacy his mate James Maloney built at the French club and are prepared to wait for the No.7 to try to gain an early release from Newcastle. Pearce’s 309-game NRL career appears all but over and a move to the south of France imminent - and Catalans are happy to make it known they want their man. Catalans want Mitchell Pearce to build on James Maloney’s legacy. Credit:NRL Photos “We’ve definitely got interest in him, but we can’t force the fact unless he gets a release from his existing contract in Australia,” Catalans recruitment chief Alex Chan told The Sun-Herald. “I’ve spoken with [coach] Steve [McNamara], he’s been in contact with Mitch, and Steve is pretty positive we can make it happen should he get that release from Newcastle. “I think Mitch would bring what Jimmy brought to us. He’s an established player, someone who has been there and done that and won titles. He will also bring the younger group up to where they need to be and can show the young guys, ‘this is how it’s done, now this is how you do it’. “Mitch has been a professional for a long time. We are prepared to wait but it would be a bonus if we could get a deal done soon.” Maloney won a premiership in 2013 with Pearce at the Roosters when McNamara was an assistant to Trent Robinson. McNamara told the Herald in the lead-up to the Super League final Pearce would thrive in Europe. “We’re looking at all options, we have some players here, there are some in England and overseas,” McNamara said. Advertisement “We’ve been linked with Mitchell Pearce who is another player I had a really good connection with when we were at the Roosters. Jimmy Maloney was hugely popular in the south of France. Credit:Getty Images Europe “He was one of the players who I always made a pledge to that if I got back to the Super League I’d try to bring him across. “I really like Mitchell, and I think the game would suit him completely across here. We’ll see what happens.” Maloney, who was a huge hit at Catalans and helped lead them to a Super League final against St Helens, added at the time: “If Mitch got over here I think he would be a good fit.” Should Catalans fail to sign Pearce, they are prepared to invest in young French five-eighth Arthur Mourgue. Maloney tipped Mourgue to eventually make it in the NRL, while Robinson, who is assisting the French Test team, is keen to see how he played against England overnight. “He has played a lot of different bench roles for Catalans, he’s so dynamic and really exciting as a player,” Robinson said of Mourgue. The Knights bunkered down on Saturday, with coach Adam O’Brien happy to leave the Pearce developments to his recruitment staff. Wests Tigers playmaker Luke Brooks continues to be touted as a potential replacement for Pearce. Loading The Tigers, however, made it known on Saturday they had no intentions of cutting their halfback loose with two years to run on his deal. One club official told the Herald: “Seriously, how many times do we have to say ‘no’?” Pearce was told he would be handed only one-year extensions while he remained at the Knights. The privacy of living in the south of France would appeal to Pearce. Catalans owner Bernard Guasch loves rugby league, and is so old school he still prefers to pay with cheques each month rather than electronic bank transactions.