Melbourne captain Cameron Smith believes the NRL club would be crazy not to join the chase for uncontracted halfback Mitchell Pearce to wear their vacant No.7 jumper.
Pearce is without a club next season after this week being granted a release from the Sydney Roosters following their recruitment of former Storm halfback Cooper Cronk.
Cronk ended 14 years at the Storm last month with a premiership, however Smith warmed to the idea of Pearce coming back the other way.
"Mitch is a wonderful player. I think he's a wonderful halfback," Smith said.
"He's been a representative halfback for a long time now; he's played 270-odd first-grade games. He's a pretty special player.
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"Only 27, why wouldn't you want to be looking at him as a halfback for your team knowing now that he's not going to be at the Roosters?"
The Storm have entered the off-season with promising talents Brodie Croft and Ryley Jacks as potential replacements to partner Kangaroos representative Cameron Munster in the halves.
However, Smith was wary of an inexperienced halves combination defending their crown.
"There's obviously been a handful of clubs tossed up concerning (Pearce's) future and them willing to look at him being on their books next year," Smith said.
"If he was keen to come to Melbourne, I'd certainly put my hand up and say, yeah, we'd love to have you. We've got Brodie there but he's played three first-grade games.
"We've got Cameron Munster playing six who is still relatively new to that position - he's played one full season.
"We've got two young kids there playing in pretty critical positions for us. I think you'd be crazy not to have a look at the opportunity to get Mitchell Pearce's services for next year."
