Rugby league legend Phil Gould says he'd be "stunned" if Mitchell Pearce returned to the NRL, as rumours circle of a Sydney Roosters swansong.
Pearce, who currently plays for Catalans Dragons in the Super League, left the NRL in 2021 when playing for Newcastle.
His time at the Knights came after the Roosters moved him on for Cooper Cronk in 2017.
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?Gould believes the move wouldn't improve the Roosters current problems.
"I'm stunned that the Roosters think that's a solution to their issues, it stuns me even more that they think Mitchell Pearce at this stage is a solution to their issues," he said on Nine's 100% Footy.
"They got rid of him years ago, sent him packing to Newcastle, I just don't get what the Roosters see in that decision.
"To me Sam Walker's their future, and it's been quite obvious since he's been out they've lost all their ad lib, they've lost all their spark, they've lost their spontaneity. It's gone back into just playing point to point, it's very structured and very slow and predictable."
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Gould added this isn't the first time there's been interest in Pearce making an NRL comeback after heading over to France.
"I know that the end of last season, heading in 2023, he had a couple of opportunities to come back to the NRL, and he thought, 'I can't do that, I'm not ready'," he said.
"It was for one year, come into the NRL and finish your career off, and he was kind of like that didn't appeal to him at all. Here we are 12 months later and they're saying he's going to come back next year.?"
Good friend and former State of Origin teammate Wade Graham ?said from the conversations he's had with Pearce, he doesn't think he should come back.
"?He seems to be enjoying his life, loving his life, Catalans are playing well, they're top of the table, (there's an) opportunity to have some success and chase some silverware," he said.
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"I feel like as a friend of Mitchell's, he seems to be happy, he seems be enjoying his life and I'd say stay over there."
Graham added being separated from the pressure and scrutiny that comes with playing rugby league in Australia is one of the biggest advantages to staying in the Super League. ?
"I had a conversation with him last year when I was off contract because I've publicly said I'm keen to go over to France at some stage of my career because of my partner's French background," he said.
"He was loving life, telling me how much he enjoyed the club, how much he enjoyed living over there, the experience, being out of the football bubble. You play footy on the weekend and then go about your business during the week, you just train ... you're just out of that pressure bubble that you live in, it was a shock to me when it came out (that he might return)."
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