Mitchell Pearce insists the Sydney Roosters can "absolutely" be an NRL title force in 2016 after breathing life into their flagging campaign with an inspired return from his drunken Australia Day antics.
Playing his first match of the year following an eight-match suspension, Pearce guided the Roosters to a crushing - and desperately needed - 38-0 victory over Newcastle at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Pearce received a standing ovation after having a hand or foot in three of his side's six tries and scoring one himself to help drag the Roosters off the bottom of the ladder, above the hapless Knights, with just their second win from nine starts.
"I know how to play footy and it was just good to get back out there and rip in with my mates because being on the sidelines has been hurting me big time," Pearce said.
"I just wanted to get out there and play well and do my thing."
As did coach Trent Robinson, who said having his little general back allowed his teammates - chiefly five-eighth Jackson Hastings - to flourish.
"It felt like having Mitchell back there allowed a lot more of the players to play their roles," Robinson said.
"Jacko, I thought, played really well in his natural role.
"We had our conductor back and it allowed us to move around freely around him."
Only two teams in the NRL's 18-year era have made the finals after winning just one of their first eight games but Pearce is adamant the Roosters can be the third.
"Absolutely. I'm certainly confident about that," he said.
Minor premiers for the past three years, the Roosters still have a mountain to climb to make the playoffs but they've certainly given fans reason for hope.
Inspirational prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also made a successful comeback after missing the first eight games with a knee injury, leaving coach Trent Robinson at last with virtually a full-strength line-up after fellow hardman Boyd Cordner's return from a pectoral tear last week.
Pearce, though, has undoubtedly been the Roosters' missing link and wasted no time proving so in a dominant display that would have also impressed NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley.
NSW's incumbent No.6 totally outplayed the Blues' current No.7 Trent Hodkinson, who was powerless to prevent the Knights being kept scoreless for the second time in three games.
Pearce's third-minute bomb would have set up the game's first try had centre Blake Ferguson not knocked the ball on while attempting to ground it.
But the newly-selected Test representative atoned with a hat-trick, his first coming in the 16th minute when he finished off a play initiated by Pearce before the influential halfback crossed himself following a Cordner bust and offload inside his own half.
With a 14-0 lead at the break, the Roosters were in control and all but sealed victory when lock Isaac Liu charged over 15 minutes into the second half.
Korbin Sims being placed on report for heavy shoulder contact with the head of Roosters winger Joe Burgess, added to Newcastle's woes.
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