Cooper Cronk could make stunning switch

NRL superstar Cooper Cronk’s future in the sport remains clouded, but two clubs have emerged as shock contenders for his sought-after signature.

Cooper Cronk.

AUSTRALIAN halfback Cooper Cronk remains without a club for next season after revealing he will move to Sydney at the end of the current NRL campaign.

Cronk will move to Sydney to be closer to fiancee Tara Rushton, but is yet to sign with a Harbour City based side.

A number of NRL clubs have made moves in recent weeks, securing halves. The Wests Tigers snapped up Josh Reynolds, St George Illawarra Dragons resigned Gareth Widdop and Kieran Foran has linked with the Canterbury Bulldogs — which means doors are quickly closing for Cronk.

There’s no guarantee he will even decide to continue his NRL career, however if he does play on, it could come in another code.

Rumours persist in rugby circles that the New South Wales Waratahs will make a shock push to sign the league star to turn their disappointing form around.

Cooper Cronk and his partner Tara Rushton.

The Australian Rugby Union are also looking towards the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where Cronk could add some star power to tackle the likes of New Zealand, England and South Africa on the biggest stage.

Publicity wise it would give the game an enormous boost, considering the current landscape which has seen interest dwindle in the Super Rugby product — amid poor performances from the Australian franchises.

NRL 360 expert Paul Kent said Cronk would be an ideal fit for the 15-man code and would have a similar impact to league great Andrew Johns, who also flirted with making a move to rugby.

“He would be magnificent at rugby,” Kent said.

“I remember when Andrew Johns was courted by the Waratahs way back when.

“Initially Eddie Jones (then Wallabies coach) he sat down and he wasn’t interested in Andrew Johns and he didn’t really want a rugby league player coming over.

“The ARU thought it was a great publicity coup to get Andrew Johns so they were trying to get him over. Eddie Jones and Andrew Johns sat down and Eddie Jones was just blown away at how he saw the game and he thought this guy, and he said privately afterwards, this guy will change Rugby.”

Cooper Cronk of the Melbourne Storm.

Kent believes Cronk would be similarly influential in union and that he would help change the way the game is played in Australia.

“I think there’s a lot of flaws the way they play rugby and a lot of old school thinking that they need to move on from in the modern game and he (Cronk) would bring that.

“I have no doubt he’d be magnificent, but I don’t want him to go, I want him to stay in rugby league.”

Despite Penrith boss Phil Gould claiming in his Six Tackles with Gus podcast that he would urge Cronk to retire instead of going to rugby union — Kent said the Panthers could loom as a potential home for the Melbourne Storm man.

“Right now, given where the market’s at ... Saints have settled their problem, Tigers have settled their problem, Canterbury have settled their problem ... I would look at Penrith,” Kent said.

“Penrith are trying to offload players at the moment ... they looked settled for next year, but it looks like Te Maire Martin is going to leave the club.

“They don’t have a five-eighth. Nathan Cleary is going to be a very good player and he would flourish under a year or two under Cooper.

“The only other one maybe if they wanted to push is South Sydney.”

Originally published as Cooper Cronk could make stunning switch