diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneDrawableJudgement.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneDrawableJudgement.cs
index c993ba0e0a91..b52919987f15 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneDrawableJudgement.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneDrawableJudgement.cs
@@ -28,14 +28,20 @@ public TestSceneDrawableJudgement()
                     AddStep("Show " + result.GetDescription(), () =>
                     {
                         SetContents(_ =>
-                            new DrawableManiaJudgement(new JudgementResult(new HitObject { StartTime = Time.Current }, new Judgement())
-                            {
-                                Type = result
-                            }, null)
+                        {
+                            var drawableManiaJudgement = new DrawableManiaJudgement
                             {
                                 Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                                 Origin = Anchor.Centre,
-                            });
+                            };
+
+                            drawableManiaJudgement.Apply(new JudgementResult(new HitObject { StartTime = Time.Current }, new Judgement())
+                            {
+                                Type = result
+                            }, null);
+
+                            return drawableManiaJudgement;
+                        });
 
                         // for test purposes, undo the Y adjustment related to the `ScorePosition` legacy positioning config value
                         // (see `LegacyManiaJudgementPiece.load()`).
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/DrawableManiaJudgement.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/DrawableManiaJudgement.cs
index 896dfb2b23ba..9f25a44e2177 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/DrawableManiaJudgement.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/UI/DrawableManiaJudgement.cs
@@ -5,22 +5,12 @@
 
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Judgements;
-using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.UI
 {
     public partial class DrawableManiaJudgement : DrawableJudgement
     {
-        public DrawableManiaJudgement(JudgementResult result, DrawableHitObject judgedObject)
-            : base(result, judgedObject)
-        {
-        }
-
-        public DrawableManiaJudgement()
-        {
-        }
-
         protected override Drawable CreateDefaultJudgement(HitResult result) => new DefaultManiaJudgementPiece(result);
 
         private partial class DefaultManiaJudgementPiece : DefaultJudgementPiece
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Judgements/DrawableJudgement.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Judgements/DrawableJudgement.cs
index bdeadfd201b6..8c326ecf4946 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Judgements/DrawableJudgement.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Judgements/DrawableJudgement.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Pooling;
+using osu.Framework.Logging;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
@@ -35,17 +36,6 @@ public partial class DrawableJudgement : PoolableDrawable
         private readonly Lazy<Drawable> proxiedAboveHitObjectsContent;
         public Drawable ProxiedAboveHitObjectsContent => proxiedAboveHitObjectsContent.Value;
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Creates a drawable which visualises a <see cref="Judgements.Judgement"/>.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="result">The judgement to visualise.</param>
-        /// <param name="judgedObject">The object which was judged.</param>
-        public DrawableJudgement(JudgementResult result, DrawableHitObject judgedObject)
-            : this()
-        {
-            Apply(result, judgedObject);
-        }
-
         public DrawableJudgement()
         {
             Size = new Vector2(judgement_size);
@@ -112,6 +102,9 @@ protected override void PrepareForUse()
         {
             base.PrepareForUse();
 
+            if (!IsInPool)
+                Logger.Log($"{nameof(DrawableJudgement)} for judgement type {Result} was not retrieved from a pool. Consider adding to a JudgementPooler.");
+
             Debug.Assert(Result != null);
 
             runAnimation();
@@ -119,9 +112,6 @@ protected override void PrepareForUse()
 
         private void runAnimation()
         {
-            // is a no-op if the drawables are already in a correct state.
-            prepareDrawables();
-
             // undo any transforms applies in ApplyMissAnimations/ApplyHitAnimations to get a sane initial state.
             ApplyTransformsAt(double.MinValue, true);
             ClearTransforms(true);