Mitchell Pearce has declared opposition halfback Michael Morgan the form No.7 of the NRL, ahead of the Sydney Roosters' preliminary final against North Queensland.
The Roosters insist they won't be caught on the hop on Saturday night by giant killers North Queensland at Allianz Stadium, after the eighth-ranked team had bundled Cronulla and Parramatta out of the finals in successive weeks.
The Cowboys were written off by critics in June when Johnathan Thurston was ruled out for the season. Morgan admitted he opted to see the silver lining in the superstar's absence and stamp his authority this year.
But his rise has come as no shock to Pearce, who says he must be stopped in Saturday's grand-final qualifier.
"Michael Morgan is a great player and I think he has shown great form," Pearce said.
"He's been in the Australian and Queensland teams for the past three or four years. I think it's no surprise of his talent. It's a big test for us to stop his ability this week."
Morgan only moved to the No.7 jersey after coach Paul Green trialled several options at halfback to replace Thurston, including the extreme measure of forward John Asiata.
But since Morgan moved there full-time in June, the Queensland State of Origin utility's game has stepped up significantly, according to Pearce.
"As a halfback, he's gone to another level," Pearce said.
"His confidence is sky high right now.
"He's the form halfback, so he's going to be a big player for us to stop at this time of year.
The Roosters are well aware that Morgan is not the only threat in the form Cowboys' side.
They've spent the past two weeks monitoring their progress, and captain Boyd Corner says they aren't surprised to meet them this weekend.
"I can believe it," he said.
"They're a great team, they've been really good all season and they've shown it this finals series.
"They've got a couple of really good players in Jason Taumalolo - it's no secret how good he is playing.
"It's not surprising at all to see them going the way they are, knocking over some teams."
The Roosters, despite the luxury of going into Saturday with a week's rest under their belts, are aware the Cowboys had been able to continue their momentum with a game last week.
"They've been playing good footy so I don't think they'll be wanting a week off at all," Cordner said.
"They've proved over the past couple of weeks they are a title contender."
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