Aidan Guerra says he “couldn’t care less” about Sydney Roosters teammate Mitchell Pearce when they meet in Game I of the 2015 State of Origin series next week.
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Pearce’s selection in the New South Wales side has been widely criticised due to his previous poor form at Origin level, and on any other day Guerra would be leaping to the defence of his good friend.
However, Guerra was not in the mood for any goodwill ahead of next week’s opening Origin clash, saying it was now his job to help take his club skipper down.
“As a mate I am pretty happy for him but as a Queenslander I couldn’t really care less,” Guerra is quoted as saying by NRL.com.
“He’s obviously proven himself at club level and they gave him another crack, it’s up to him now and up to us to make it a little bit harder for him.
“I know at a personal level he has really worked on himself and that has come to the fore. You can tell just the way he carries himself it’s helped him at club level but it is a different ball game (in Origin).
“He is one of my best mates, he is captain of my NRL club but that is already behind me. I am not too worried about what’s happening elsewhere except the Maroons against the Blues.”
Pearce has lost all five State of Origin series’ he’s played in and won just three of his 12 matches.
He was overlooked for New South Wales’ series win last year following an incident in a nightclub just weeks out from the three-game series.
However, his outstanding form in 2015 has broken apart the Trent Hodkinson-Josh Reynolds halves pairing that helped steer the Blues to their first Origin series win in nine years.
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