KNIGHTS | Veteran Blake Green emerges as likely captain to replace Mitchell Pearce following text message controversy

Pearce is expected to relinquish the captaincy role he has held at the Knights since he joined the club in 2018 in the wake of a much-publicised text messaging controversy that resulted in his wedding to fiance Kristin Scott being called off late last month.

The 31-year-old playmaker was allegedly caught sending compromising texts to a female Knights employee.

Pearce is due back at pre-season training on Thursday for the first time since the controversy erupted.

Despite being in the twilight of his career and having only played three games for Newcastle, the highly regarded Green shapes as the logical choice as Pearce's successor.

He has previous captaincy experience at the Warriors and appears set to head a new-look Knights leadership group in 2021 that could also include the likes of rising stars Jayden Brailey, NSW Blues prop Daniel Saifiti and Mitch Barnett and experienced prop David Klemmer.

The only downside to Green's likely appointment is the fact he could miss more than the opening month of the premiership as he fully recovers from a knee reconstruction.

It would leave coach Adam O'Brien having to come up with an on-field captain to lead the side in Green's absence during the early rounds. But given Pearce will still effectively be running the show as chief playmaker over the course of the 80 minutes, it shouldn't be a major issue.

While appointing Green as captain will not be viewed as a long-term fix given his playing future beyond the end of this year at the age of 34 is unclear, he is seen as the perfect mentor for the club's emerging leaders with the club not flush with experience on that front.

He is highly respected among the playing group and has already demonstrated his commitment to the club by the way he has gone about rehabbing his knee over the off-season that now has him on course to return weeks ahead of schedule.

Green's elevation to the job would also give O'Brien 12 months to properly identify a longer term leader from his group of younger, less experienced contenders.

Following Knights general manager of football Danny Buderus' press conference on Monday where he did not refute the question marks hovering over Pearce's future as captain, the club was making no further comment on the issue on Tuesday.

O'Brien is yet to publicly speak about the controversy and it's understood CEO Phil Gardner is not due back from holidays until Monday. But there is little doubt both coach and CEO will be keen to quickly end the distraction and put the controversy behind it.

Part of that process will be Pearce making peace with several teammates, including backrower Lachlan Fitzgibbon, who were caught up in the controversy.

While Pearce has coveted the captaincy role at the club and it will pain him to give it up, there could well be a silver lining for the Knights halfback.

Like a certain halfback who came before him, Pearce has never been completely comfortable with the off-field media and commercial responsibilities that go with being a captain.

Free of those burdens, it may well bring out the best in Pearce this season.

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