Captain of the NSW State of Origin team? "Outrageous", says Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce.

The 20-year-old's starring role, including two tries, in the Roosters' heat-affected 44-32 NRL win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday may have backed up former Blues and Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart's claim that Pearce is the best option to have the 'c' next to his name for Origin, but the man himself begs to differ.

"How embarrassing, I just laughed about it," Pearce said.

"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."

Pearce played one match for NSW in 2008 and says he'd like to be there again this year, although his coach Brian Smith believes he needs another 12 months of NRL dominance.

"I'd love to play Origin, I suppose everyone in the comp would but I'm just enjoying winning at the moment," Pearce said.

"If Smithy thinks that, he's probably right, he seems to know a lot about his footy and everything he seems to say I agree with.

"Smithy had a bit of a joke with it ... he said Braith's still captain, I won't be captain today.

"I thought it was funnier than everyone else, I took the piss out of myself.

"I respect Ricky for saying that I'm obviously going well, but I'm not going that well."

Smith, who said he'd tried to lure Pearce to Parramatta as a youngster, reiterated the view that the youngster probably needs to steer the Roosters through a finals series before he is even handed the blue No.7 jersey again.

"Dear oh dear, it's like duck season - everyone waits until they can go shoot ducks," he said.

"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 halftime and another one midway through the second half - pushed a pass - they're not the signs of someone who's totally got their game together yet.

"He's close though."

Roosters fans may beg to differ after his brilliant new combinations with Todd Carney and Braith Anasta fired the impressive Roosters' attack to eight tries.

In sapping mid-30s temperatures which brought on drinks breaks, the Roosters came back from 12-0 down after just 13 minutes to put on a blitz of seven unanswered tries either side of halftime.

The Tigers managed some late consolation points but the game was over at 38-12 after 61 minutes.

The 2009 wooden-spooners have now notched back-to-back big wins over two of the sides with big expectations on them this season, following last weekend's 36-10 thrashing of South Sydney.

"We're only just getting started but we'll need to get better," Smith said.

"We got better from the three-point line than they did.

"There were some terribly soft tries we conceded. I can't cop that."

Tigers fans were at least treated to another highlight from former Wallaby Lote Tuqiri, who sprinted 70m down the left touchline in the 13th minute to score a memorable try.

"I'd like to think we're not going to put that performance together again," Tigers coach Tim Sheens said.

"It's not good, not for a first grade side."

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