It’s was a small gesture on his day off but it made a young supporter’s day.
For every bad story written, there’s a wealth of good going on behind the scenes.
Newcastle Knights supporter Tania Gross Hyland shared her recent encounter with Mitchell Pearce on a Facebook supporter group and granted the Club permission to share her post.
The post read: ‘Every year for my daughter's birthday, I give her (sic) membership pack.
‘We were celebrating at Merewether pool yesterday and Mitchell Pearce and his friends walked past and took a seat not too far away.
‘So after tossing up whether or not to approach him and getting encouragement from a fellow admin, a few hours later I sneakily took her pack (she hadn't unwrapped gifts yet) and finally said hello to him and his friends and apologised for intruding on their day and I explained what I'd like him to do, he was really lovely and so were his friends who had also moved to Newy from Sydney.
‘He signed her pack and we had a little chat. He really loves being in Newcastle and we're lucky to have him.’
Brown: Best playing group we've had
Bianca celebrated her 25th birthday and it’s clear to see from the photos that she was thrilled with her gift.
Tania told newcastleknights.com.au she “was quite nervous about approaching him, not because I was starstruck but because I don't like to annoy people when they're trying to have a day out with friends.”
But the playmaker welcomed her approach and gladly chatted while he signed her membership pack.
“They were all so kind and friendly,” Tania explained.
“Very easy to talk to. He truly is an asset to our team for more than just his playing ability.”