Surely it couldn’t happen again.

Cooper Cronk has kicked a field goal to sink a team with Mitchell Pearce in it by one point on the past two occassions they’ve met.

The pair line up on Monday night when the Sydney Roosters host Melbourne at Allianz Stadium.

It comes five nights after Cronk’s field goal proved the difference in Queensland’s 11-10 win over Pearce’s NSW side at ANZ Stadium.

The Storm beat the Roosters 17-16 in Melbourne in April with No.7 Cronk stepping up when it counted, slotting the match-winning point.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson said it would be a mistake for Pearce to think the game was all about his clash with Cronk.

“I think if you focus on that, you take your eyes off a lot of the other guys that are going to perform well for them,” Robinson said.

“Cronk will be trying to lead the way along with (Cameron) Smith and (Billy) Slater but I think there’s some other really good players in that team.

“It’s not up to Mitchell to take him (Cronk) on.

“We want to make sure that we’re all working towards taking time away from Cronk.”

Robinson was pleased with the way Pearce played for the Blues.

“I think he was pretty dominant. I thought he was pretty clinical in the way that he led the team around in his position of six (five-eighth),” he said.

There are nine players in line to back up from Origin I on Monday, although Melbourne’s Queensland fullback Slater is in doubt for the match with a shoulder injury.

Robinson said the Roosters’ five-man Origin contingent of Pearce, Michael Jennings, Daniel Tupou, Boyd Cordner and Aidan Guerra were ready to play after a light training load this week.

The Roosters have won five of seven post Origin matches with one draw, while Melbourne have won just four of eight.