He read from a prepared statement and spoke for all of just 28 seconds yesterday and not for the first time this week, an emotional Mitchell Pearce struggled to keep the tears at bay.
But less than an hour after breaking his silence over the texting scandal that forced him to call off his wedding and cost him the club captaincy, the embattled Knights halfback was back where he is most comfortable - on the training paddock in the company of teammates.
If actions speak louder than words than talk of a split in the player ranks over the controversy appeared a long way from the truth.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien said as much prior to the session, claiming the off-season drama involving Pearce and his private life had galvanised the playing group rather than divided it.
"I'm confident this won't have an impact on our season," O'Brien told a packed media conference.
"It won't be used as motivation and it won't be used as an excuse. We'll get on with it as professionals."
Pearce has been the centre of unwanted headlines ever since it was revealed that text messages he sent to a female Knights employee were the reason his wedding to fiance Kristin Scott was called off just prior to Christmas.
To complicate the issue for the club, the female employee and her long-term partner are friends with a number of Knights players including forward Lachlan Fitzgibbon.
But O'Brien is confident a highly emotional address from Pearce to the playing group on Tuesday after stepping down as captain, where he showed "genuine remorse" for this actions had brought the squad closer together.
"There's plenty of disappointment from a lot of parties,"O'Brien said.
"I'm really respectful that it is a private matter and their welfare is the number one priority before football. But as I said before, the group is not divided - if anything Tuesday probably galvanised them a little bit.
"They understand the team is like a family and they understand family members make mistakes. We're a good family and you don't turn your back on family members, you support them.
"There was genuine remorse in that meeting, I think that's what the players could see. There was a guy standing up there that genuinely was owning a mistake, a big mistake that's hurt some people.
"That fact was clear to the playing group, so I think that's what galvanised them. I like to consider myself head of the family and I don't want to see any of the players go through that.
"At the end of the day, our players understand there's consequences to actions. Human beings make mistakes but with mistakes come accountability, consequences and actions moving forward and I feel all those areas have been addressed."
The self-inflicted emotional strain on Pearce was clear for everyone to see as he fought back tears as he read his prepared statement.
He said: "For me, it's been a traumatic few weeks for my personal life and for those I love. Unfortunately, my actions have impacted the team and more importantly, the people I have closest to me - Kristin and my family.
"I'm taking steps now to address these issues and I feel it would be in the best interest of the club to step down as captain for this season.
"I love this club and I love my family and I'm committed to working as hard as I can to be the best man I can be, both on and off the field. I'd appreciate some respect moving forward and a bit of time to get back to training."
O'Brien stressed the captaincy decision, made during a meeting between himself, CEO Phil Gardner and Pearce, was the halfback's alone.
"Mitch came to it [the decision] himself and I support him on it,'' the coach said.
"I know Mitchell Pearce playing his best football as our number seven will naturally lead in the game, so I'm content with not having the "C" beside his name.
"If I can alleviate some of that pressure [on him] away from the game, I'm happy to do so. I will say this - Mitchell Pearce's best football is a huge asset for this club.
"He's got some matters he wants to address, first and foremost with his close family and his partner.
"He needs to address that and he's working hard each and every day at doing that. I don't see it impacting his football."
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