Demanding Cooper Cronk to show why he’s no one-hit wonder at Roosters

AS Paul McCartney discovered, it’s harder to produce No.1 hits as a solo artist. Cooper Cronk might not have his Storm fab four anymore but he’ll be pulling the strings for the Roosters, writes MATTHEW JOHNS.

Cooper Cronk has high standards, for himself and his teammates. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

YOU gotta hand it to him. At the point of his career when most players either look to the green, green grass of the English Super League or an alcoholic beverage and three seats on the sofa, Cooper Cronk has reached for the biggest challenge of his career.

As Paul McCartney discovered, it’s a lot harder to produce No.1 hits as a solo artist.

Not that Sir Paul went completely solo, he had his more-than-capable band Wings! It’s just that Wings didn’t have John, George and Ringo.

And for Cooper, there’s no Billy or Cameron. But Cronk isn’t the one under pressure — he’ll write the music and pull the strings, as he always has. Are his new teammates capable of keeping tune?

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Cronk has high standards, for himself and his teammates. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

I don’t know whether his new teammates have realised yet, but Cronk is a demanding taskmaster.

He demands a lot from others, almost as much as he demands of himself.

As a footballer, he’s never stopped evolving. Even last year, he tinkered and changed his game.

Very few footballers in their twilight years are willing to shift away from what they know and what they do best.

But heading into season 2017, with the speed of the game on the increase, Cronk became more willing to move himself away from the highly structured game plan and, instead, played periods where he would react to the defence.

Play what you see, not what you’ve planned.

Storm’s old Fab Four: Cam Smith, Billy Slater, Cronk and Ryan Hoffman (Colleen Petch.)

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. In fact, in the early rounds he looked uncomfortable and at times out of sorts.

By the middle of the season, he was improving rapidly.

By season’s end, he was playing the best football of his career.

Not all players get better with age because not all players are smart. Cronk is highly intelligent.

So when you combine 323 NRL games, 22 Origin matches and 38 Tests with high intelligence, it’s experience on steroids.

Every one of those matches would’ve played over in his mind in the week following: every mistake corrected, every success analysed. He learns and keeps improving, and you can bet that application won’t diminish with a change of jersey.

James Tedesco now has someone to learn from. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

I’ll repeat, the pressure isn’t on Cooper Cronk, it’s on his teammates to get up to speed.

James Tedesco will excel shadowing Cronk. Too often at the Tigers, the ball was handed to Tedesco for no rhyme or reason, with a hope that he would make something happen.

As the year progresses, watch Tedesco get better and better as he develops combinations with his halfback and gets a greater understanding of the science of fast-attacking football.

Likewise, Luke Keary and Cooper Cronk will go together like rum and coke.

Keary continues to be underrated. He has so many champion qualities, one of which is his willingness to be whatever his halves partner needs him to be.

With Cooper pulling the strings, the Roosters don’t need another playmaker just pushing the ball sideways. Keary’s running game will be a feature of the Tricolours’ attack, expect plenty of tries and line breaks.

The pressure is on the Roosters’ forwards. In the 2017 finals, the Roosters’ big men let their team down. They were completely dominated in yardage.

This year a lot will be asked of the Roosters’ pack, not just muscling up. Cronk expects perfection from those around him. When he goes to the defence line, he expects his forwards to be hitting the right hole, at exactly the right time. An inch late is a mile late.

At Melbourne, his forwards were synchronised by years of schooling. Can his new pack play as fast and accurately?

Can the Roosters’ forwards be the players Cooper needs them to be?

It will be the difference between a good year and a great year.

The Roosters face the Tigers on Saturday night. A team with lots of expectation against a team with very little.

The Tigers will love that.

The Tigers pack is a beauty and that’s exactly where coach Ivan Cleary will seek upset — right smack bang through the middle of the field.

If the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and co can’t claim middle-field dominance, don’t expect Cooper Cronk to be able to save them.

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Originally published as Demanding Cooper Cronk to show why he’s no one-hit wonder at Roosters