‘I’m a long shot’: Cooper Cronk refuses to give up hope of playing NRL grand final
SO at last we know he’s not super human. But Cooper Cronk says he will do whatever it takes to make it to the NRL grand final — and invited Melbourne’s forwards to run at him.
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IF he somehow recovers and to play Sunday’s NRL grand final, Sydney Roosters star Cooper Cronk has invited Melbourne’s big forwards to run at him all game.
Cronk admitted he was a “long shot” to contest the decider against former club the Storm said he wouldn’t hesitate to play through pain.
“I’m not super human but the pain, I’ll be able to deal with,” Cronk said. “Whatever has to be done, I’ll do it.”
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Cronk, who said he may be needled up to play, encouraged Melbourne’s power pack to target him throughout the match. The Roosters halfback has a severe rotate cuff injury and had his left arm in a sling.
“I tell you what, if I’m there with my boots on and this Roosters jersey on, everyone can run at me because there’s nowhere to hide out there,” Cronk said.
“I think I’m a spot (in defence) every week. Every team runs at me. Souths did it on the weekend as well. One thing I can guarantee is that I will do everything possible to play.
“It’s going to be a difficult week emotionally, it’s going to be a difficult week physically but I tell you what, if I’m there Sunday, no matter what happens between now and then, there will no excuses come Sunday night.
“It’s just whether I can functionally move it. Am I 100 per cent going to play? No. Am I a zero per cent chance of paying? No. It’s somewhere in amongst that and I can’t give you a number.
“I’d like to think I’m not a selfish player and know what I can and can’t do — I’ll be strong enough to make the decision. If I make the call, I’ll be right to go, whether you think I’m a liability, a passenger or a nuffy, I’ll still be out there doing my job.
“Pain is what it is. You make it out to be as much as you want it to be. I’ll deal with it.”
The Roosters will give Cronk until Sunday to prove his fitness.
However the champion halfback may withdraw earlier if he is no chance of playing.
Rookie Sean O’Sullivan and Mitch Cornish are straight swap options for coach Trent Robinson, who may also shift Luke Keary to the No.7 jersey and play Ryan Matterson at five-eighth.
“There is a point where you can’t get things right in a certain amount of time but there’s also a point where someone says to ice your shoulder five days a time, I’ll go do it 10 times,” he said.
“If they said get treatment two times, I’ll do it another five times. It’s just how much you really want to do it and at some stage God or science will say no. Until then I will do everything I possibly can.
“The best thing is to just immobilise it so I can get some recovery done and try and strengthen up so the muscles don’t get worked over too much. The whole idea of the sling is to keep it in place and protect it and do everything I possibly can.
“I don’t know what my realistic chances are but I’m a long shot. That’s not lying. I’m not going into the details of the injury at the moment, with all due respect, because you’re on a need-to-know basis and at the moment you don’t need to know.
“But it will be one hell of a game and I’ve got seven days. I’m going to do everything I possibly can to be right to play. Today isn’t about throwing my arm out of the sling and starting to tackle, throw passes or kick a footy. I need to let it rest and recover.”
Cronk is desperate to play against his former club and mates.
“It’s one hell of a situation isn’t it,” he said. “I’ve been trying to sidestep that question for the last 30 weeks. I’ve said we shouldn’t talk in hypotheticals, let’s deal with it when we cross that bridge,” he said.
“The bridge is here, isn’t it? Playing off for one of the biggest trophy there is on offer, there are so many storylines. We could sit here for an hour and a half about the subplots going on.”
Roosters hooker Jake Friend added: “Obviously he is pretty tender but if anyone could play, it would be Cooper.”
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