Influential combinations are a key ingredient to any successful football team.
nib Newcastle Knights halves Mitchell Pearce and Blake Green will look to spark up their winning combination when Green makes his return from a long-term ACL injury this Sunday against the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The pair sat down on the KNIGHTS // HQ Podcast to talk about a whole range of topics including a heavy focus on Mitchell Pearce's journey to 300 games.
The playmakers have run out for a combined 475 NRL games to rank as the most experienced halves pairing in the competition.
Green has been named on the bench for the Easter Sunday clash against the Dragons and will wear jersey 17.
Pearce spoke about his excitement to see the 34-year-old pull on the jersey again.
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“He’s an extremely smart footballer,” Pearce said about Blake Green on the KNIGHTS // HQ Podcast.
“You can see when you watch Greeny play (that) he’s a tactical player and extremely intelligent.
"He’s a very calm player and his IQ around footy is as good as I’ve seen.
“I'm looking forward to him getting back on the field, we were combining well and understanding each other’s games (last year).
“His record is better than anyone," Pearce joked.
Having only played three games for the club, three wins was the perfect introduction for Green when he moved to the Knights.
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Green joined Newcastle midway through 2020 having arrived from the Warriors and quickly formed a lethal partnership with Pearce as the side enjoyed wins over the Wests Tigers, Manly and North Queensland.
Unfortunately, Green suffered an ACL injury in the Round 15 victory against the Cowboys ruling him out for the remainder of last season.
Now the veteran playmaker is back and looking to pick up where he left off with his partner in crime.
Green spoke about how he plans to implement his role and combine with the newest inductee of the 300 club.
“I love playing with Junior,” Green said.
“I remember talking to Tim Smith about him once when I was a young kid at Parramatta. We used to talk about how well he dives into the line, support the ball and carry the ball.
“So my biggest thing when I came to the club was I wanted to allow Junior to play footy and play what he sees.
“When he wants to take the line on and push hard through the line, he can do that, and not have to worry about what tackle it is, what time it is on the clock and what part of their field we’re on.
“Let me handle that part of it and let him do his thing because he’s just such a natural footy player."
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ACL injuries are an enduring process but Blake Green has come through the other side and made a full recovery.
“It’s going really well, similar to Kalyn just ticking the boxes. So far I haven’t had any hiccups."
Catch the latest episode of the KNIGHTS // HQ Podcast here, the official podcast of the Newcastle Knights. Listen and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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