He was one of, if not the Club's biggest signing.
When Mitchell Pearce announced he was joining the nib Newcastle Knights late last year, the deal was met with great fanfare.
The town was abuzz, and Nathan Brown had a superb playmaker, but he didn't realise just how good Pearce was.
He does now.
While it wasn't long before the coach realised just what a special talent his No.7 is, he did admit he underestimated his influence.
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"I didn't realise how good he was until he actual came," Brown told NRL360.
"You see the influence he has on his team and if you go back to the Rooster since Robbo's been there, they're pretty much in the top every year and they ran second last when Pearce got stood down and missed half the season.
"And the Roosters aren't short of Origin and Test players, are they?
"He's probably a better player than people recognise."
What a day. What a game. What a comeback!
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It's no secret Pearce has one of the better kicking games in the competition.
He's also a wonderful organiser.
The Knights have a winning record of 62.5 percent with the halfback in the team, while only 22.2 percent without him.
While he has all the tools of a quality half, Brown said his greatest attribute is his ability to lift the players around him and get them playing to a greater level.
Project Pearce
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"I knew he was a good organiser, I knew he'd kick well but I probably wasn't quite as aware of the influence he was going to have on all the other players," he said.
"That was probably the biggest thing.
"Generally, I always look at the better players at clubs and their ability to make other people do well and I think Pearcey has certainly had a good effect on not only helping our other players look good but driving them and helping them strive to do better."
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