Roosters half-back Mitchell Pearce has described calls from former NSW coach Ricky Stuart to install him as the Blues State of Origin captain 'embarrassing and outrageous'.
Stuart used his Sunday newspaper column to talk up the 20-year-old as the man to lead NSW as the Blues look to prevent a fifth successive series defeat.
The push to return Pearce to the NSW side after a two-year absence will gain further momentum after his stand-out performance in the Roosters' 44-32 thumping of Wests Tigers on Sunday, but the No. 7 wants nothing to do with the captaincy talk.
"How embarrassing. I just laughed about it," he said of Stuart's article.
"I take it as a compliment that he obviously thinks I've been going all right but that's outrageous - I don't know where that came from."
"I'd be happy to be somewhere in the 17 if my form's even good enough to be doing that let alone any of that other stuff."
"I found it a bit of a laugh but I'll take it as a compliment from Ricky. Obviously he thinks I've been going all right but I don't think I'm going that good."
Roosters coach Brian Smith has been desperate to keep a lid on the hype surrounding Pearce, suggesting he needs a good season behind him before being considered for Origin in 2011.
He could only shake his head over the Pearce for Origin campaign.
"Dear oh dear. It's like duck season - everyone waits until they can go shoot ducks," Smith said.
"For us in NSW – Queenslanders, I reckon they do it – someone sets it up."
"Here we go again 'let's start to talk about the NSW No.7'."
"You guys (in the media) will feed it because it's good copy."
"In Mitch's case, I think you saw it all there today."
"Without being too hard on him, some of the decisions that he made today just before half-time and another one midway through the second half (where he) pushed a pass – they're not the signs of someone who's totally got their game together yet."
"He's close though."
Roosters skipper and Pearce's halves partner Braith Anasta believes the Roosters half would not let anyone down at Origin level but screwed his face up at talk of giving his young team-mate the captaincy
"He (Ricky Stuart) can write a story," Anasta said.
"He's (Pearce) playing great and he can handle Origin, no doubt about that."
"Captaincy? I don't know. I think that's just a bit of…I don't even want to talk about it."