Sydney clubs to begin bidding war for superstar Cooper Cronk

COOPER Cronk sent Sydney’s nine NRL clubs scrambling for their chequebooks, but who’s in — and who’s already out — of the race to sign the Storm champion?

COOPER Cronk has thrown the NRL player market into meltdown, announcing he’ll leave Melbourne Storm at the end of the season and move to Sydney.

Cronk’s decision will send Sydney’s nine NRL clubs scrambling for their chequebooks as they try and work out if they can fit a Test and Queensland State of Origin halfback on their rosters.

“In terms of what happens next, I actually don’t know,” Cronk said.

“What I do next year, is up in the air. I feel fit enough and mentally fresh enough to continue playing.”

So where will Cronk end up next year?

The TAB has posted a hypothetical book on where Cooper Cronk will play in Sydney, with the Bulldogs the favourites to snare the star playmaker with the Tigers on the next line of betting.

Bulldogs — $2.75

Tigers — $4.00

Sharks — $5.50

Eels — $7.00

Manly — $11.00

Dragons — $15.00

Rabbitohs — $21.00

Panthers — $34.00

Roosters — $34.00

We look at the contenders:

PANTHERS

CURRENT HALVES: Nathan Cleary, Te Maire Martin

Penrith seems an unlikely destination, given the investment in young halves Cleary and Martin.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: No. CEO Brian Fletcher said Penrith did not have any room in their salary cap for Cronk, and were more than happy with the local talent they had already stitched up long term, including teenage halfback Nathan Cleary. “It would be impossible at this stage,’’ he said.

ROOSTERS

CURRENT HALVES: Mitchell Pearce, Luke Keary

Keary only joined the Roosters this season and has already struck up a promising partnership with long-term No.7 Pearce.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: No. Pearce and Keary are locked in the halves.

BULLDOGS

CURRENT HALVES: Moses Mbye, Josh Reynolds (off-contract)

Five-eighth Josh Reynolds is coming off contract and speculation continues to circulate that the club is trying to offload him. It’s well known they have the weakest spine of the Sydney NRL clubs, and Cronk would be a perfect fit alongside the talented Moses Mbye.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: Yes. Coach Des Hasler was extremely coy about the issue while CEO Raelene Castle said it was too early to speculate what the club would do in regards to Cronk.

Cooper Cronk will be in big demand in Sydney.

WESTS TIGERS

CURRENT HALVES: Luke Brooks (off-contract), Mitchell Moses (off-contract)

Both young halves are off contract, and the club is also trying to re-sign star fullback James Tedesco and Aaron Woods. While the recruitment strategy is a mess at the moment, pairing one of the two young halves with Cronk could be just what the struggling club needs.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: Yes. CEO Justin Pascoe is at the helm of one of the clubs with the funds, and they don’t have a playmaker contracted for next season: “We’re always interested in talented players and Cooper’s clearly a talented individual who’s had great success at the Storm.’’

SEA EAGLES

CURRENT HALVES: Daly Cherry-Evans, Blake Green

Daly Cherry-Evans is Manly’s long-term halfback, having last year signed a massive eight-year contract on big dollars. Cronk’s former Storm teammate Blake Green left Melbourne for Manly this season and has started well alongside Cherry-Evans at five-eighth, so it seems an unlikely destination.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: No. Coach Trent Barrett said the club would not be in the Cronk sweepstakes as they have Daly Cherry-Evans and Blake Green on the books.

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EELS

CURRENT HALVES: Corey Norman, Clint Gutherson

One of the clubs in with a big shot. A Cronk-Corey Norman halves combination looks a dream on paper, and current five-eighth Clint Gutherson could be shifted to the centres.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: Yes. A senior official at the Eels said they were always in the market for top quality players.

DRAGONS

CURRENT HALVES: Gareth Widdop (off-contract), Josh McCrone (off-contract)

Ben Hunt’s signing on big money for 2018 would appear to rule the Dragons out, although current captain Gareth Widdop is off contract at the end of this season.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: Maybe. Recruitment officer Ian Millward said the Dragons’ priority was to re-sign Widdop and Josh Dugan.

SHARKS

CURRENT HALVES: James Maloney, Chad Townsend (off-contract)

Halfback Chad Townsend is off contract at the end of 2017 and with Jack Bird no certainty to re-sign, Cronulla could come right into the mix. They have tabled an offer to Townsend and are in ongoing discussions, but nothing is finalised.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: Yes. In the running and have the salary cap space to sign Cronk

RABBITOHS

CURRENT HALVES: Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker

Another apparent long shot, with Adam Reynolds locked in as long-term halfback and the exciting Cody Walker looking a good prospect. However, he is close to Rabbitohs skipper Greg Inglis through their Queensland State of Origin connection and South Sydney coach Michael Maguire worked with Cronk when he was an assistant coach in Melbourne.

CRONK CONTENDERS?: No. Coach Michael Maguire was quick to shoot down re-uniting with Cronk: “Adam Reynolds is our halfback,” Maguire said.

“We worked hard to make sure Adam signed here long-term, he’s born and bred South Sydney, and his best years are still to come.

“Without a doubt Coops has got something to offer every club, everyone has seen what he is capable of doing and his knowledge of the game.

“But we’re very satisfied with what we’ve got. Adam is 26 and he has a lot of footy ahead of him, and we’re really comfortable with the way him and Cody Walker are growing as halves.’’