Inside story: How Norths Devils snubbed Thurston to sign Cronk
It was one of the greatest signings Norths Devils ever made – an untried rugby prodigy called Cooper Cronk. But to do it, they had to turn their backs on another future immortal.
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Former Melbourne coach Mark Murray has revealed how the Storm’s one-time feeder-club Norths Devils rejected the chance to sign Johnathan Thurston, instead opting for an unknown rugby rookie called Cooper Cronk.
As Cronk prepares for a remarkable ninth grand final in the Roosters-Canberra decider at ANZ Stadium, Murray has lifted the lid on an extraordinary recruitment tale involving two playmakers who would become NRL champions.
The careers of Cronk and Thurston have intertwined in the most dominant fashion, with the pair combining in the halves to win State of Origin series and Test matches in the green-and-gold jumper.
But if not for a sliding doors moment in 2001, when then Storm affiliate club Norths said no thanks to a teenage Thurston, Cronk could have easily sunk without a trace.
The retiring Roosters star will say farewell to rugby league when he runs out for his 372nd first-grade game in the grand final, hoping to crown a superb 15-year NRL career that started at Melbourne in 2004.
But almost two decades ago, the Norths Devils faced a decision which would have life-changing repercussions for two potential NRL Immortals.
“Not many people know this but we actually nearly signed Johnathan Thurston to the Devils and that would have shut the door on Cooper,” recalls Murray, who coached the Storm in 2001-02 before the arrival of Craig Bellamy.
“We had the option to sign Thurston at the same time as Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk. We had a limit on how many guys we could sign and to be honest, we weren’t sure if Thurston would make it.”
At the time, Thurston was carving up for St Mary’s College at Toowoomba but couldn’t attract an NRL club. Meanwhile, Cronk, eight months younger than Thurston, had been spotted by Melbourne scouts playing rugby at Brisbane’s St Laurence’s College.
“At the time, Johnathan was small and didn’t have the body to handle the NRL, so we had to make a decision between recruiting him or guys like Cam and Cooper,” Murray said.
“‘JT’ (Thurston) wasn’t a big kid at all but I guess on reflection what we didn’t see was his courage and his fierce determination.
“All those guys – JT, Cam, Billy and Cooper – were the same age. But instead of JT we brought four blokes to the Devils – Dallas Johnson, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cam Smith.
“Probably our one regret is that we didn’t also pick up Thurston. Who knows where Cooper may have ended up, but to see him where he is today is just remarkable.”
While Thurston, Slater and Smith are regarded by many as the three greatest players of their generation, Cronk has superbly, and almost imperceptibly, stepped out from their shadow of superlatives.
It is a measure of Cronk’s greatness that he has played three times as many grand finals as Thurston.
While Thurston managed three deciders, winning two, Cronk lines up for his ninth grand final at Homebush. At 35 years and 304 days, he is gunning for a third consecutive premiership.
If the Roosters dispose of Canberra, Cronk will create more history, joining St George icon Bob Bugden (1956-61) with the most grand final wins for a halfback with six.
Murray, himself a former halfback who played 17 Origin matches and six Tests for Australia between 1982-86, believes Cronk’s desire and emotional intelligence, rather than his talent, has helped him succeed and endure.
“The big dilemma for us, right from the start, was working out where to play Cooper,” Murray said.
“He played fullback, centre, five-eighth, second row and hooker in the Queensland Cup – but he never wore the No.7 jumper.
“Anyone can identify talent, but we were also looking for good people. Our scouts told us Cooper was considered a model citizen at his school who had the right attitude to make it in the professional arena of the NRL.
“The one thing that always impressed me was that Cooper always applied himself and was quick between the ears, so he was a fast learner.
“It’s hard to play one grand final let alone as many as Cooper. He’s had a remarkable career, we didn’t think he would be that good but I’m so pleased for him. He is a great lesson for every aspiring NRL player out there because he was never the standout tipped for greatness.”
While Cronk’s bravery to play in last year’s premiership win with a broken shoulder will go down in grand final folklore, the former Maroons ace’s hunger for more success is relentless.
In the lead-up to this year’s NRL finals, Cronk made another sacrifice. He swore off alcohol and eliminated gluten and dairy from his diet to ensure his body was at optimum health for the Roosters’ shot at back-to-back titles.
“Cooper’s impact on the team is not so much the 80 minutes on the field, it’s the build up through the week with his preparation and his meticulous attention to detail,” said Broncos legend Darren Lockyer, Cronk’s former Origin teammate.
“Cooper’s pre-game preparation is immaculate, he is always stretching and rehabbing any niggle. He also does his homework so that his forwards know exactly what he expects of their roles, so when they confront it under pressure in a game situation, they are mentally prepared for it.
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“I really hope Cooper is one day considered for NRL Immortal status. Throw in his heroics to play a grand final last year with a broken shoulder and he has to be a serious consideration.”
The Roosters’ decision last year to sign Cronk, which led to the shock departure of halfback Mitchell Pearce, initially caused ructions. But if Cronk steers the Roosters to historic successive NRL crowns tonight, there can be no question the investment has been vindicated.
“He has been outstanding for us,” Roosters chairman Nick Politis said.
“Cooper is a great person and has been calm and collected for everybody at the club.
“The coach (Trent Robinson) wanted to sign Cooper and it’s proven to be a success.
“I have never seen anybody like Cooper Cronk in our game.”
Originally published as Inside story: How Norths Devils snubbed Thurston to sign Cronk