Cooper Cronk confirms he will play on with a Sydney club in season 2018

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yourhero
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Cronk has announced his retirement from rep footy after the Australian World Cup won.

Lucky Roosters...
Cameron
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Sure but tbh, Hughes Brandon Smith are ready to step up when Cameron and Billy play Rep footy next year.

I am still confident Brodie will mix it really well with the best of the best.

This will be Billys last year of footy from his body language last night.

So we are kinda already into Gen Next here at the Melbourne Storm.
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https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/billy- ... ecdc13b766

QUEENSLAND fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their champion spine won’t be completely ripped away from them in 2018.

The representative retirements of Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk will leave a huge hole but the Maroons’ 34-year-old hooker and fullback are certainties to go around again.

While Billy Slater has more than likely played his last game in green and gold, confirming after the Kangaroos’ tense 6-0 win over England that he was “happy to pass on” the Australian No. 1 jersey, he was adamant he still had one good Origin series left in him.

“I’ll be playing Origin next year as long as I get picked,” Slater said.

“I’ll be available to play Origin next year. And like I said, more than likely I’ll be retiring at the end of next year.

“But whether that includes the one off Test or not, look I’m pretty content with what I’ve achieved in the green and gold and I’m happy to pass it on but like I said I haven’t 100 per cent made a decision just yet.
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LESStar58
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Munster to 6 and Hunt to 7 methinks...
Lucas
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Morgan.
Cameron
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‎Nathan Cleary will be playing 7 for Australia by the next World Cup.
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Craig Bellamy looking at halves rotation to help fill void left by Cooper Cronk

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl ... 52f6f4f3ed

MELBOURNE master coach Craig Bellamy is considering introducing an Australian cricket-style rotation system for the Storm halfback job next season as the club braces for life after Cooper Cronk.

Bellamy said it was a “surreal” feeling beginning Melbourne pre-season without Cronk for the first time in 14 years, with the Test halfback quitting the Storm for personal reasons and signing with the Roosters for 2018.

While Queenslanders Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cameron Munster remain to keep the majority of the Storm’s spine intact, losing Cronk’s experience and game management at No. 7 has created an off-season of uncertainty for Bellamy.

“He has been a big and important part of our team here for 14 years, so it is going to be a bit strange to be quite honest,” Bellamy said.

“It is a little bit surreal not having him here, and that is only going to be reinforced by seeing him playing with someone else.

“We have a bit of work to do to find the right guy to fill his position, but hopefully we can do that.”

ellamy said given the youth and inexperience of the contenders looking to replace Cronk next season, the idea of rotating “two or three” players in the No. 7 jersey was something he was looking at.

“(A rotation system) is something we are looking at. We will see how it unfolds.

“It is very early in the piece for us to make concrete plans, but I am thinking that is more than likely the way we go about it. That is one way we can get through it

“Where we are standing now, we are probably thinking that Brodie Croft is a frontrunner. But Brodie has only played three or four games in first grade,” Bellamy said.

“Those games were at halfback, but to expect him to play the whole season …. I don’t know whether that I realistic to be quite honest.

“The pressure that he is going to be under next year will be enormous, the defences will be coming after him. Us expecting him to play 24 games or 25 games in a row in the grind of the NRL, that is tough going.

“We have some other young guys coming through who could play that role as well.

“Ryley Jacks played a couple of games in first grade last season. He came out of nowhere really and did a really solid job for us.

“We have Jahrome Hughes, who can play in the halves as well, and another young kid called Scott Drinkwater who played a lot in the Queensland Cup last year, mostly at fullback but he has played in the halves as well.

“Between those guys, someone will hopefully grab that spot. But if we have to use two or three of them throughout the year, then we will do that.”
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While I’ll never forget what Cronk has given to us over the years I’m well over reading all about him in regards to us. While I can understand it to a point, He’s no longer a Storm player but a Rooster and while I loved beating them in the past, I’ll enjoy beating them just that much more now.

Even more so if it’s in the GF
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Lucas wrote:Morgan.
Morgan at 6 or 7?
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LESStar58 wrote:
Lucas wrote:Morgan.
Morgan at 6 or 7?
Morgan would definitely be one of the them. I would go with Morgan at 7 and either Munster or Milford at 6 with the other on the bench. Although another option would be Ash Taylor at 7 and Morgan 6. Plenty of options for the Maroons
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Morgan can play were he wants

But Munster must play.
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DCE also had a decent year. His style is probably too similar to Morgan's though and while Morgan is doing it better I don't see a spot for DCE in any rep side (unless he discovers that he's actually from NSW in which case he walks on to their starting side).
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yourhero
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I struggle to see DCE ever getting a shot for QLD again - as much as Kevvy and co downplay the issue.
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Which is a shame because he's easily got the most talent of any of the options. His game style and general dick-ish personality likely means he'll never get another chance.
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DCE is plan B

Not sure why but he is the Aniti-Queenslanders Queenslander. For some reason he is persevered as a toxic avenger.

Not one of the big names want him on the field.
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