Premiership success lifted the monkey from Mitchell Pearce's back and has primed him to deliver for NSW in State of Origin, says his former club skipper Braith Anasta.
Anasta believes 25-year-old Pearce - so often criticised amid the Blues' repeated series defeats - is in career-best form and will only be more motivated by the negative publicity surrounding his wild Saturday night out, which attracted a one-game ban and fine.
From his Origin debut in 2008 at age 18, halfback Pearce has played 12 Origin matches, including all of the past three series' games, but has enjoyed only three wins - all in Sydney, with one each in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 series defeats.
But former Sydney Roosters captain Anasta believes his former club's 2013 premiership triumph was a watershed for Pearce.
"My belief is he got the monkey off his back when they won the premiership because I have seen it for ages," Anasta told AAP on Wednesday.
"He has always been a dominant key player who can really dictate games and take it to the next level.
"When he won the premiership, I really thought this was going to be his year in Origin and I still think it will be."
Anasta backed Pearce to come back stronger from the controversy over his off-field behaviour when ejected from two nightspots at the weekend.
"Pearcey is mentally strong. He has been through a lot. He has been through similar instances before," he said.
"He has made a lot of sacrifices. Last year, he didn't drink and they won the premiership; this time, he just stuffed up.
"He would be disappointed that it has got this much attention and feeling he has let his teammates down probably more than anything.
"He would be focused on Origin now and making sure of that.
"He wants to win more so than ever now to prove people wrong and get the job done."
Having played in the NRL at just 17 and debuting in Origin at 18, Pearce has had to battle a weight of expectation on his career, Anasta believes.
"It comes with making the grade at a young age and having high expectations. That is where it starts," he said.
"You get put on this pedestal. If you don't reach the expectations that people really want you to reach at a young age, then there is really only one way to go, down, and Pearcey has been battling that over his career.
"Right now he is at the top of his game and he has to ride that for the rest of his career.
"He has played his best footy over the past 12 to 24 months and he should be confident in his own ability to get out there and get the job done.
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