Tee-totalling duo Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce should not be chosen for State of Origin this year – and have been given the green light to have a beer in moderation despite a dodgy track record on the drink.
So says Roosters coach Brian Smith ahead of Sunday's match against Wests Tigers – an encounter that 'scares' him and caused him to lose sleep.
The veteran Smith is one of the NRL's most thoughtful – and considered – coaches in the competition and was once again in an expansive mood on Thursday when asked about the Origin prospects of Carney and Pearce.
He claims they are not ready – not until they have proved themselves for another year at least.
"I'm talking them up about having the talent to play Origin but I reckon they should be made to show that they've got the consistency to play at a really high level for at least 12 months," Smith said.
"If this time next year they are talking about them for Origin and the Roosters have done well and made the play-offs, then it will be time, not now."
Both Pearce and Carney have declared themselves 'off the grog' and claim to be playing better for it.
While he admires the call the pair has made, Smith stressed it was an individual choice and one that would have no repercussions if broken.
"There is absolutely zero ban on anything except my bad jokes," Smith said.
"Those guys have made decisions to do whatever they're doing with their lives. Socially what they do with their lives are their decisions."
"Young Mitch has got his 21st coming up. Seriously you wouldn't expect him not to have a few beers if he felt that was appropriate."
"He might have more than a few if he decides that's appropriate."
"If he's in the right place and he conducts himself well, certainly no-one around here cares anything about that."
What Smith does care about is getting over the top of the Wests Tigers at the SFS on Sunday.
He has lost sleep trying to devise a plan to stop the likes of Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah and Lote Tuqiri – all of whom were tremendous in the Tigers' come-from-behind win over Manly on Monday night.
"That's one of the best and toughest game of footy I've seen," Smith declared.
"It was absolutely ferocious. For a large part of the 80 minutes, I just couldn't believe how they just kept going at each other."
"I reckon we'll need to improve by a considerable margin to compete with them."
"I left here (the SFS) about five minute before the end of the game and I was still awake about three or four hours afterwards."
"They scared the socks off me. Just the intensity of that game was enormous."
So in those sleepless hours did he come up with a way to stop Marshall and Farah?
"You need to do a lot of things right to control such influential players, particularly with that top-end skill they've got and the variety and risks they're prepared to take," he said.
"That provides the biggest challenge to our 'D' (defence). We might not get a bigger challenge again."
"They are so talented and gifted. Concentration is a big thing."
But he's not sure Tuqiri will be better for the run under his belt.
"He was sucking the seagulls in there a couple times (against Manly) but you'd