Cooper Cronk unsure whether he’ll play on in NRL until 2020
With his recovery from shoulder surgery well under way and his 35th birthday under his belt, Cooper Cronk’s only thought now is for NRL season 2019. And possibly, beyond.
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Cooper Cronk turned 35 this week, which makes him the same age Trent Robinson was when he took over as Sydney Roosters’ head coach.
But the superstar playmaker has no plans following in Robinson’s footsteps anytime soon.
In fact, Cronk has revealed he has not ruled out playing beyond 2019.
In a one-on-one interview with The Saturday Telegraph, the Roosters’ grand final hero also declared he was ready to start training early the New Year after making a successful recovery from shoulder surgery.
“It was a bit of a delicate operation but the surgeon did a tremendous job,” Cronk said.
“The issue was that from when I broke it until I had the surgery was about three weeks.
“So there was a bit of bone forming there.
“That caused a bit of a problem. But there have been no complications.
“The scapula bone has some plates in it and the muscles either side of it keep it in a pretty good position.
“I have got full range (in movement). I and just trying to get the strength back into outer areas and I will be right to go come Jan 4.”
Coming into the final year of his two-year deal at the Roosters, Cronk said retirement didn’t even enter his mind after winning the grand final in such emotional and memorable circumstances.
“No, never,” Cronk added. “My word is my word.
“I said to this football club that I would come for two years.
“And it is not about winning competitions and then waving goodbye because it may suit myself individually.
“It is about contributing to this football club and leaving it in a better place than when I found it. That job is not done yet.”
Asked if 2019 would definitely be his last season, Cronk explained: “I haven’t really sat down and said yes or no.
“Look, I don’t know but most likely. But I haven’t really had that conversation with myself or my wife or anyone.
“I am a process-driven guy. If I start thinking what next year or the year after will look like I think I lose sight of works for me.”
Even though he is not due back with the team until after the New Year, Cronk also revealed he had started training on his own.
“The moment you think you have made it or you are better than you actually are, the rugby league gods have a really strange way of pulling you back down to earth,” Cronk said.
“Throughout my career if I ever wanted to have a good season you needed to have a really good pre-season.
“It just works hand-in-hand.”
Cronk paid huge credit to Robinson who has now won two premierships in his first six seasons in charge.
To put that in perspective, Wayne Bennett also won two comps in his first six years at Brisbane, while Craig Bellamy did it in seven (although both 2007 and 2009 titles were later stripped because of the salary cap scandal).
Reminded Robinson was Cronk’s age when he took over, he laughed: “I will tell you what, I will not be taking over as head coach anytime soon.
“Tactics of the game play a big part (in making Robinson the coach he is).
“You have to have a rugby league IQ. But I think Trent is a people person.
“He knows a lot of things about people, the world, its history … and I think he looks after the players that come through the door.
“He has a mindset of not only winning football games and teaching kids how to be better footballers, but he gives people a lot of time and turns boys into men.”
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Originally published as Cooper Cronk unsure whether he’ll play on in NRL until 2020
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