Cooper Cronk’s touching tribute to Melbourne Storm’s ‘real big three’

COOPER Cronk paid tribute to the Melbourne Storm’s “real big three” in an incredibly touching farewell speech.

Cooper Cronk is all class.

COOPER Cronk will always be remembered as a legend of the Melbourne Storm team and during the club’s end of season award night there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he said his goodbyes.

The halfback was presented with the Michael Moore trophy for being the club person of the year with the Storm also unveiling the Cooper Cronk medal, an award for the feeder player of the year.

After thanking a long list of players and club personnel, Cronk paused when it came to talking about the men with whom he had built a long lasting dynasty.

“How do I break up the next couple of people,” he began. “Craig (Bellamy), Cam (Smith) and Billy (Slater). Some people call myself, Cam and Billy the big three but if you’re going to talk about the most influential people at Melbourne Storm, I think those three guys are easily the most influential at the footy club and I’ve just jumped on the back of them for the last 14 years to be honest.”

As the speech rolled on, Cronk thanked each man individually in a touching farewell.

CRAIG BELLAMY

That’s love. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

“Craig sets an agenda or an example of what it takes to be successful but he also has this side of humility that makes you a better person and some guys have come to this club that have been really good players, way better than some of the other ones that have come through the door. “Some of the lunatics get out the door real quick because they just don’t fit and that’s because of Craig.

“His humility from where he’s come from and what he has is something that I’ve learnt. The two lessons that I’ve learnt from Craig is that hard work pays off and humility is a trait that you want to have.

“Craig thank you, you’re the biggest influence on my rugby league career. I thank you for the person you are and I wish you all the very best with your ever growing family with a couple of grandkids now and that brings a smile to my face, knowing that you’re very happy with your life and where it’s at and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

CAMERON SMITH

Brothers in arms.

“To Cameron and Bill — I tell you what we balled our eyes out the other day when we presented each other jerseys, it is emotional once you develop relationships over a long period of time and we all met in 2001.

“Cameron used to drive me in his hotted up HG Holden car when I didn’t know the difference between a windscreen wiper and a mud flap but he would absolutely fang the thing on the Gateway Motorway and I remember one day it was teeming down with rain and he aquaplaned it at about 160km/h and I was holding on for dear life. So thanks for almost killing me ...

“Thank you for doing the things we did.”

BILLY SLATER

Pure elation. Picture: Brett Costello

“We all know Billy’s story about driving down from Innisfail but we all don’t know the story that he used to drive a maroon Magna with roof racks — and who has surf in Innisfail, there is no surfboards.

“He had moo cow seatcovers and I had a Nissan Pintara and we used to go down to the Gold Coast and race each other down there. Let’s just say I’d beat him hands down all the time.

“We met each other in 2001 at Brisbane Norths and it’s now 2017 and what’s been done is, I would never have thought the moments we had back in 2001 that we’d all be standing here today.

“The thing that I’m most proud of is not that we’ve won some competitions or some individual medals or represented our states and our country.

“I’m proud that I’ve been a part of both of them getting married, both of them having kids, both of them having a life that they can be tremendously proud of. Not only in the things that they’ve achieved but the people they are and the example they are for other people in this room and everyone at Melbourne Storm.”

Originally published as Cooper Cronk’s touching tribute to Melbourne Storm’s ‘real big three’