 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cooper Patrick Cronk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1983-12-05)5 December 1983 (age 41) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professionalrugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. AnAustralian international andQueenslandState of Origin representativehalfback, he played most of his club career for theMelbourne Storm, though finished his career with theSydney Roosters, both in theNational Rugby League (NRL).
During his sixteen-year career, Cronk won four NRL Premierships (in 2012 and 2017 with Melbourne, and 2018 and 2019 with Sydney)[a] from nineNRL Grand Final appearances. He won theDally M Medal as the NRL's player of the year in 2013 and 2016, theClive Churchill Medal as best player in the2012 NRL Grand Final, theGolden Boot Award as international player of the year in 2016, and the NRL's Dally M Halfback of the Year on five occasions.[b]
Cooper Cronk was born inBrisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Cronk played his junior rugby league with the Souths Acacia Ridge club.
He attendedSt. Laurence's College,South Brisbane from 1994 to 2000, where he was in the school's 1st XVrugby union side for a number of years.[4] He was selected to play in the Australian Schoolboys squad along with former Wallaby captainRocky Elsom.
In 2001, Cronk was selected to playrugby league for Queensland andAustralian Schoolboys teams. He was then selected to play in theQueensland Cup'sNorths Devils team. He quickly established himself in that competition and trained with the Storm Squad in 2003. He scored 37 tries for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.[5]
Cronk made his debut for theMelbourne Storm in 2004, starting as a utility back coming off the bench and playing atfive-eighth, hooker andlock.
In the2006 NRL season, Cronk won theDally MHalfback of the Year award. He also played at half-back for Melbourne in the2006 NRL Grand Final loss to Brisbane.
In 2008, Cronk was called into the Australian test team to replaceJonathan Thurston who had twisted his ankle in training. Thurston later was cleared of injury and played in the test team over Cronk. In August, 2008, Cronk was named in thepreliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the2008 Rugby League World Cup,[6][7] however he was not selected to make an appearance. WhenCameron Smith was sidelined by aNRL Judiciary suspension during Melbourne's finals campaign of the2008 NRL season, Cronk stood in as captain and captained the Storm in the2008 NRL Grand Final defeat byManly Sea Eagles.[8]
In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25-man squad to representQueensland in the openingState of Origin match for 2009,[9] however he was not selected to make an appearance. He played in the2009 NRL Grand Final against theParramatta Eels, setting up 2 tries. This title was later stripped due to salary cap breaches. Cronk was named as part of theFour Nations team and played for Australia in the2009 Four Nations Tournament in Australia againstFrance as a utility.
Surgery on his groin saw Cronk miss Melbourne's appearance in the2010 World Club Challenge. An injury toJohnathan Thurston saw Cronk selected for the2010 ANZAC Test. Cronk played off the bench as a utility forQueensland in the2010 State of Origin Series, playing in all three games. In Game II, he scored his first Origin try.
He also played forAustralia in the2010 Four Nations.
Cronk played in the2011 State of Origin Series. In Game I, he set up a try forJharal Yow Yeh in the second half and in Game III, he set upGreg Inglis as well. In 2011, Cronk also played the tests againstNew Zealand at the Gold Coast and Newcastle on the bench. Cronk was part of the2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament, playing off the bench when theKangaroos played theKiwis and England. Cooper Cronk was selected to play Five-Eighth against Wales, withJohnathan Thurston at halfback, restingDarren Lockyer for the Four Nations Final. In the2011 Rugby League Four Nations between Australia and Wales, Cronk scored 3 tries and set-up 2 tries for Australia. He also played in the Four Nations Grand Final against England.
As of 29 March 2012 Cooper agreed to a further four years with the Melbourne Storm. At the2012 Dally M Awards Cronk was named the NRL's halfback of the year.[10] In the2012 NRL Grand Final victory overCanterbury-Bankstown, he won theClive Churchill Medal for the man of the match award.
Cronk kicked the game and series-winning field goal in the final minutes of the third State of Origin match in 2012. He later said, "To be brutally honest I was in a state of grace at that particular moment. Every sinew in my body came together in one perfect whole. But those who have ever experienced that feeling, and it doesn't happen very often, will tell you it's in a whole other place of experience from the usual ego or vanity that drives my game. So I'm not afraid to own it for what it was."[11]
In February 2013, he won man of the match in Storm's 18–14 win over Leeds in the World Club Challenge. Cronk was also selected as starting halfback for the annual ANZAC Test match between Australia andNew Zealand inCanberra, playing at halfback for Australia. He also played a key role in Queensland's eighth consecutive series win with a 12–10 win overNew South Wales in the decider, setting up the match winner try to Justin Hodges.
On 1 October 2013, Cronk was named the Dally M Player winning by two points in front ofQueensland teammatesJohnathan Thurston andDaly Cherry-Evans andCronulla Sharks five-eightTodd Carney. He was also named the Dally M Halfback of the Year.[12]
Cronk broke his arm in the opening minutes of Game I of the2014 State of Origin series on 28 May 2014. Written off for the series, he surprised the entire rugby league community by getting himself fit enough to take the field in Game III just six weeks later. Queensland lost the series after losing Games I and II, but in Game III on 9 July 2014 the Maroons routed New South Wales 32–8.[13]
On 30 August 2014, Cronk played his 250th game for Melbourne Storm, a feat achieved by only 3 others players at the club.[14]
2016 began with rumours linking him to rivalNRL clubs in Sydney, most notably theSt George Illawarra Dragons. However, he put that in the back of his head to lead Melbourne to a great start to the season. On 2 April, he scored 2 tries to secure an 18–14 victory over theNewcastle Knights. 15 days later, he kicked a field goal in the 5th minute ofgolden point to give the Storm a 19–18 victory over theWests Tigers. The Storm won 5 of their opening 7 games.
On 26 June 2016, Cronk became only the fifth NRL player in history to record 200 wins (from 289 games) in a 29 to 20 win over the West Tigers.[15]
On 24 September 2016, in Melbourne's grand final qualifier against the Canberra Raiders, Cronk became just the 25th NRL player to notch up 300 first grade games. In doing so, he is only the 11th player to do so with the one club.[16]
At the annual Rugby League Dally M awards on 28 September 2016, Cooper Cronk was named theDally M Player of the Year for a second time after winning his first in 2013. Cronk tied withNorth Queensland Cowboys propJason Taumalolo to win. Cronk was also crowned Dally M Halfback of the Year earning the honours for the fifth time in his careers.[17]
This was further complemented on 22 December 2016, when Cooper Cronk won the 2016Rugby League World Golden Boot Award (Worlds best player). The award is decided by a panel of Rugby League experts includingDarren Lockyer.[18]
On 4 April 2017, Cronk made the announcement that the2017 NRL season would be his last for theMelbourne Storm, stating he would move to Sydney; Cronk emphasised that this was purely based on family reasons rather than football-related reasons. His then-fiancéeTara Rushton, aFox sports presenter based in Sydney, was the main driver behind his decision. On 30 October 2017 it was announced that he would join theSydney Roosters for two seasons.[19][20] Cronk and Rushton married on 14 December 2017.[21]
2018
In 2018 Cooper Cronk joined the Sydney Roosters. Where he played all 26 games, including playing with a broken scapula in the grand final victory over his former club the Melbourne Storm. He then became the first player to win consecutive premierships with two different clubs in the NRL era, having won the 2017 Grand Final with Melbourne and 2018 Grand Final with the Roosters starting at halfback in both games. Cooper also became the first player in the modern era to have three consecutive grand final appearances.
2019
On 28 September 2019, Cronk led theSydney Roosters to a 14–6 win over his former clubMelbourne Storm in the preliminary final. After the game, Cronk was full of praise for his former coachCraig Bellamy and theStorm.[22] "It’s hard because I don’t stand here today without the people at theMelbourne Storm,” Cronk said after the game. "Craig’s forefront of that, he’s a guy I’ve played a lot of football for. "It’s really emotional sometimes coming up against your old team but in this game, you really have to put it to the side because there’s always a chance of next week and you really have to ride the rollercoaster sometimes".
Winning consecutive premierships is a feat that has not been previously achieved in 26 years and Cronk had the opportunity to create history to become the first player in the modern era to win three consecutive grand final appearances and to have four consecutive grand final appearances.
On 6 October 2019, Cooper Cronk played his final game ofRugby League in theNRL for theSydney Roosters in the2019 NRL Grand Final. Prior to his last match, the only thing he had not managed to achieve is back-to-back titles with the same club. He did that, and set the record for three consecutive grand finals in the modern era, furthermore Cronk was the first player in the NRL era to have won three consecutive premierships, additionally is one of thirteen players who have won consecutive Premierships. Cronk was revered by theRugby League community for his achievements within the game, to win fourNRL Grand Finals from nine games.
During the press conference,[23] coachTrent Robinson labelled the retiree the "greatest thinker to ever play rugby league". "It’s hard to explain how great Cooper is",Robinson said. "I'm a better coach because Cooper is here. We are a better club and a better team because Cooper is here. We asked him to come and do a job and he said, 'I'm going to come, I'm going to get it done.'"I think he is the greatest thinker to ever play rugby league. To walk onto the field and do what he's done in our game – the guy is skilful but my left-to-right (pass) is better than Cooper's.
In Cronk's final interview,[23] he laughed 'he had enough'.
On 7 November 2019, Cronk was recruited intoAFL clubGWS Giants as a 'leadership consultant'.[24] The move was initiated byJimmy Bartel and was officially confirmed by their coach,Leon Cameron.[25] Cronk was set to begin his consultancy 2019 in preparation for the Giants'2020 AFL season.[26]
Cronk has been employed as a part-time coaching consultant at both theSydney Roosters andMelbourne Storm, with his role seeing him mentor players at both clubs.[27][28]
"and that's turned this game on its head because the dogs were coming and you wanna know why they call this place the 8th wonder of the world because the crowd was taken out of it the dogs were coming and then there was the penalty that schoupp did with the tackle that went wrong and next minute the crowd went up OFF OFF OFF OFF and from that moment the tigers scored two tries and they've got BACK in their winning ways and look like they're gonna runaround runa runaway with it"
Following his retirement from playing in 2019, Cronk has been part of the commentary team onFox League, where he is seen as part of the broadcaster's on-air panels and analysis.[28]
In August 2024, theNational Rugby League announced that Cronk was an inductee into theNational Rugby League Hall of Fame. Cronk, who was ascribed Hall of Fame number 124, was amongst eleven male players in the 2024 Class.[29]
Cronk married television sports presenterTara Rushton in December 2017.[30] They have two children, Lennox and Harley.[31]
