Sydney clubs in race to sign Cooper Cronk after decision to leave Melbourne Storm

PUBLICLY not a single Sydney club declared their interest in Cooper Cronk on Tuesday. Behind closed doors, almost half of them rang his agent at 11am.

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MATTHEW Johns, a former mentor of Cooper Cronk, has described any club not interested in signing the champion playmaker as “insane” while also nominating Canterbury as early favourites to secure the Test star.

In a bombshell announcement which could create a domino effect to the future of 117 off-contract players from the nine Sydney clubs, Cronk has decided to quit the Melbourne Storm after 14 years and move to the Harbour City to be with fiancee and Fox Sports presenter Tara Rushton next year.

But rather than retire, Cronk remains open to continuing his stellar career with a Sydney-based NRL club and earn up to $1.5 million a season.

Publicly not a single Sydney club was willing to declare their interest in Cronk; a clear tactic and ploy designed to ensure the current halves at their respective clubs feel wanted.

However, The Daily Telegraph can confirm almost half of the nine Sydney club’s made contact with Cronk’s agent George Mimis the moment the story broke before 11am on Tuesday.

While St George Illawarra can be ruled out due to location, several Sydney clubs with flexibility or halves off-contract, including the Eels, Wests Tigers and Cronulla, told The Daily Telegraph they were “always interested in talented players’’.

The Bulldogs spluttering attack has heaped pressure on current halves Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye this year and Johns laughed at Bulldogs coach Des Hasler’s faux surprise and response that Cronk would definitely retire next year, when asked if the club would be making a play for the Test No7.

Cronk should have his pick of the Sydney clubs.

“He’s just the best Dessie, but all roads lead to them (Bulldogs) offering a monster deal,’’ said Johns, who first tutored Cronk back in 2006.

Johns said if the Bulldogs were to secure Cronk, they wouldn’t be just signing any player, they would be signing an on and off-field leader and the equivalent to a new member of the coaching staff.

“Everyone says that the Dogs have got to change their style, well when you buy Cooper, Des will be buying as assistant coach as well,’’ Johns said.

“You appoint Cooper and you sit down with him and a blank sheet of paper and say; ‘how are we going to play this year, what about this, how do you guys do this at Melbourne?’

“You’re buying someone who can help you with football, you’re buying someone who can help you with culture.

Cooper Cronk in action for the Storm. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“Because when you’re talking about culture at the Melbourne Storm, this is a club that the New Zealand All Blacks go and watch and learn from.

“Souths too, they’re like the Bulldogs where they’re probably asking themselves, ‘what do we have to do to change our direction a little bit?’

“Madge (Souths coach Michael Maguire) would be thinking when we get GI (Greg Inglis) back next year and then you suddenly throw Cronk in there as well, away we go.

“I wouldn’t believe any club saying they’re not interested. It would be insanity saying that.’’

Cronk said he was loathe to consider anything beyond Tuesday, one of the most difficult days of his illustrious career, but conceded he felt like that he could play on in 2018.

“If this was a football decision, I’d be staying here for a long period of time,’’ Cronk said. “But for me to finish up at the Melbourne Storm this year, is a personal reason.

“Tara my fiancée is based in Sydney and there’s a few things in life that is more important than football, like family, getting married and a future.

“In terms of what happens next, I sit here in front of you today completely honest, I actually don’t know.

“I had a two year contract with the Melbourne Storm, but it was for one year and another year with an option in my favour.

“So instead of playing until round 24 or 26 and coming up with a decision, I think it’s in the best interest of this football club to announce it now and give them the opportunity to move the chess pieces around.

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“Having the opportunity to have a family and start a family (in Sydney) but play football in the same city, just doesn’t work.

“So what I do next year, is up in the air. I feel fit enough, I feel mentally strong enough to continue playing, but I’ve been wrestling with this decision about playing-on or not, here in Melbourne, up until this point, that’s the only thing I’ve been thinking about.

“I understand that will cause a few headlines.’’

Storm chief executive Dave Dongahy said the club would sit down next week to commence a plan they never expected to be confronting this year, how to replace Cronk.