Where should Melbourne’s Big Four play next season?
Roar Guru By Steve Kaless, 13 Jul 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League
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If you believe the rumours, we should finally hear this week just how far the Melbourne Storm are over the salary cap and just how sharp their blade will need to be to field a team that plays for points next season. The noises coming from down south have been that the club is aiming to keep the quartet who are now dubbed the Big Four – Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis.
That is going to be no mean feat seeing three of them are normally labelled “the best player in the world” a couple of times a week from different judges.
The thought that any of them could be tempted away has meant that most clubs have looked to square away a fair chunk of cash for next year in the hope to entice one of them to their place.
Whether any of them are sacrificed will depend largely on how far over the cap the club currently finds itself and how quickly they can unload other players who are also chewing up room.
But for the sake of an argument, let’s imagine it was open season and each club could put in a bid for one of them.
Who would be your club’s best target?
Brisbane Broncos: The Broncos efforts to land Inglis are already dead in water. I’d opt for Cameron Smith to lead a very young Broncos outfit, particularly once Darren Lockyer moves on.
Canterbury Bulldogs: Greg Inglis. The Bulldogs have already looked to secure the spine of their team for the next few years, but Inglis would be a massive signing for the centres now Jamal Indris looks to have moved into the pack.
Canberra Raiders: Cooper Cronk. The Raiders have plenty of grunt, lots of pace out wide, but seemingly lack direction in attack. When Adam Mogg is playing with jersey number seven on, you know your priority must be to find a halfback.
Cronulla Sharks: Cameron Smith. The Sharks need a complete rebuild, so you may as well start with the bloke you’ll have his hands on the ball most of the time.
Eastern Suburbs Roosters: Greg Inglis. Like the Bulldogs the Roosters have a young spine in place which has their best years ahead of them. Inglis would be terrific luxury to have out wide, and the chefs at Bondi could also probably cook the books accordingly.
Gold Coast Titans: Billy Slater. Scott Prince to Billy Slater, it’s probably one of the few ways they could make the Prince to Campbell combination even more effective.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: If the Sea Eagles keep Steve Matai, I’d say the Sea Eagles would do well getting Cronk to replace Trent Hodkinson. If Matai goes, then it’s GI. However, that’s all based on the fact that Brett Stewart will return to play fullback. If that’s not the case, hello Billy Slater.
New Zealand Warriors: Cameron Smith. The Warriors would excel with the steadying influence of Smith in the rucks.
Newcastle Knights: Greg Inglis. Inglis with Aquila Uate outside him would be a fearsome combination him. He is the game breaker the Knights need.
North Queensland Cowboys: Inglis (and anyone else keen for a game). I’d question the sanity of anyone who wants to go there at present, but “on paper” (and that’s a term you need to use with the Cowboys) who think they would be best suited to Greg Inglis playing in the centres outside Jonathan Thurston. He’d be someone else for Thurston to swear at, shake his head at and throw his arms in the air at when things don’t work out.
Parramatta Eels: Cooper Cronk. After re-signing two young halves, less than twelve months later Parramatta decide they need an experienced halfback. Cronk could be the player to get out of the shadow of Peter Sterling at Parramatta.
Penrith Panthers: Greg Inglis. With the greatest respect, Adrian Purtell is probably the one player the Panthers fans would find expendable and slotting Inglis in that position would certainly be one way to win the battle for Sydney’s west.
St George Dragons: Cameron Smith in for Luke Priddis. The obvious improvement to an already quality side.
South Sydney Rabbitohs: Billy Slater. I thought about Cooper Cronk to give the Rabbitohs some maturity in the halves, but I reckon Slater would be the man to get Russell really exicted.
Wests Tigers: Greg Inglis/ Billy Slater. I’d argue the Tigers are either one centre or a fullback away from having a really red hot team, so take your pick.
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- Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League
July 13th 2010 @ 10:14am
Stormybill said | July 13th 2010 @ 10:14am | Report comment
They want to stay were they are because they play for the best fans in the country,in the best stadium,in the sports capital of the world.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:34pm
Chris said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
Stormybill, Suncorp Stadium/Lang Park is universally considered the best rugby league ground in the world, so you can give the best stadium away.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
You’re crazy mate… get yourself into AAMI Park and see how far design and building has come, even since SS/LP was opened… AP cost far more per seat than any other stadium, and that quality shows through (i’ve been to both, so wise up buddy)
July 13th 2010 @ 11:32am
Hoy said | July 13th 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
With the increase coming in, do they need to go? Or is the increase a few years off? Can someone remind me?
July 13th 2010 @ 11:35am
Doughboy said | July 13th 2010 @ 11:35am | Report comment
Ingklis is crossing to AFL aint he?
July 13th 2010 @ 11:46am
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 11:46am | Report comment
who would want to goto the Dons?
July 13th 2010 @ 12:04pm
Hutchoman said | July 13th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
NO NO NO to Slater at Brookvale. Just couldn’t cop it.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:03pm
The man said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
C’mon Hutcho – its not like he is Craig Field
July 13th 2010 @ 2:32pm
Hutchoman said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Well no, you are right there. Although I cannot speak for Slater’s off field pursuits.
July 13th 2010 @ 12:09pm
Akazie said | July 13th 2010 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Cronk to Parra, the rest can go where they like and play whatever they like.
For the love of God Parramatta need a decent halfback, we haven’t had one in 25 years, that’s all that’s missing.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:29pm
The Answer said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
Gee that honeymoon with Robson and Mortimer was over fast.
July 13th 2010 @ 8:41pm
Akazie said | July 13th 2010 @ 8:41pm | Report comment
haha, Mortimer needs to work harder on quite a few areas, he’ll get there in time, but i as an eels fan for 35 years are getting a tad impatient.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:27pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
I want to know why Inglis to the Broncos is dead in the water? I also think the Titans would do better with Cam Smith than Slater, no offence to friend but he isn’t as good as Smith, and if not that I would have Cronk there if I was the Titans. Imagine having Campell at FB, Cronk and Prince in the halves, Bird at lock, Rogers in the centres. You would do well because Cronk and Prince would set up a nice combo which would entice selectors after Lockyer leaves to possibly have Prince as a starter and Cronk as utility, great combo when they are both on the park.
And I think Cronulla could afford to buy 2 players with the salary cap they have a lot of money left. If I were the Sharks I would buy into Slater and Cronk. Better combo than Slater and Smith in my view. I don’t think the Wests Tigers need more back line, they need more forwards that are forwards not those ones that run like centres.
Rabbitohs would have to try and get Slater, Rhys Wesser isn’t getting any better and the Rabbitohs have great players in the other positions that we are looking at here. I think Sandow and Sutton are great when they are on, they just need to be consistent with it.
Dragons are not even going to try, not enough money and they will have an exodus shortly – Gasnier will take a lot of money out of them.
The Knights could afford someone, but I think they will look for someone to complement Mullen and Gidley, and Cronk would be best, as Gidley is a utility so is Cronk, so you can move Cronk to hooker than move Gidley to 5/8th or no. 7.
Warriors might have already spent there cap, but if they haven’t look to them for trying to get Cronk. A mature half and not as expensive as Smith.
Panthers will not try for anyone, they will build on their juniors, and will find plenty of talent out that way.
Cowboys need Smith. PERIOD.
Manly could try for them but I wouldn’t suspect they would go their, it seems a nice rivalry has started.
Roosters have to be close to the limit. No one for them, although they need to buy someone who will attract a crowd, or they will have to rent-a-crowd shortly.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:32pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:32pm | Report comment
Corey, I believe its dead in the water as the Broncos withdrew their bid after theywere told its wasn’t enough.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:12pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
Thanks for that Steve. I know the Broncos have a bit more money then they let on. Lockyer took a pay cut to keep Hunt in Brisbane, he didn’t and now we lose Folau, there is at least a potential 1 mill there alone. And the kids aren’t getting that much. We lost PJ, so we got Tronc, we lose Folau, no replacements yet, we lose Winterstein, no replacements yet. So I think the Broncs can offer more money to Inglis or Cam Smith then they are letting on at the moment. May I ask if you know how much the Broncs offered Inglis?
July 13th 2010 @ 2:58pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
Courier Mail seem to think it was north of $400K. Where is Antonio heading?
July 13th 2010 @ 3:01pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
Cowboys. Done deal unfortunately. He is a great young player, and its sad to lose him, but good luck to the Cows’.
July 13th 2010 @ 3:05pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
They will need it.
July 13th 2010 @ 3:57pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:57pm | Report comment
that was a strange signing, Broncos seemed to be not shocked though – I was very surprised he signed
July 13th 2010 @ 2:27pm
Brett McKay said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
Corey, I agree that Cronk would be the best fit at Newcastle, but as a 7, not a 9. Leave Gidley at the back, put Mullen back to his preferred 6, and Isaac de Gois is a more than capable hooker.
Mind you, you could easily apply the same logic to Canberra and Campese, and Parramatta and Mortimer, too…
July 13th 2010 @ 2:29pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Very true, De Gois is underrated by most – but if you ever had injuries in the spine you would have a lot of ppl to fill the void.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:35pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
The Knights could afford someone, but I think they will look for someone to complement Mullen and Gidley, and Cronk would be best, as Gidley is a utility so is Cronk, so you can move Cronk to hooker than move Gidley to 5/8th or no. 7.
Why would you move argubaly the most consistant halfback of the last 3-4 years to hooker? you’re a lunatic!
also, Souths could afford all four of them… just ask JT, they are always looking for ways to, um, circumvent, oh, cr@p, I’ve said too much and I cant get my words back…
July 14th 2010 @ 11:54pm
Corey said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:54pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t move Cronk into hooker unless needed. He is a utility player, utility players get moved to places they are needed. Lockyer moved from FB to 5/8th, ppl move when the club need them to move and Cronk has shown he can do that. I would keep the spine of the Knights as such: 1: Gidley 6: Mullen 7: Cronk 9: De Gois. But if any of them got injured you could easily move it around, very easily. It would be the most versatile spine in the competition.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:33pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Gents,
Thanks for all your comments, just to clarify this article isn’t so much about whether or not they should leave Melbourne, but rather if they were to then which clubs would go after which players (in my humble).
For what it is worth i believe they will cut hard on the roster and keep the Big Four.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:43pm
Rabbitz said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Steve,
If they cut the roster to keep “the big four” does this not make a mockery of the salary cap?
The cap was breached to enable the Storm to assemble “the Big Four”. So if they keep their “ill-gotten gains” are they not still technically in breach?
A bit like the laws which prevent profiting from crime which stop a baddy from keeping the profits, or even the interest on illegally gained assets. Should the Storm retain “the Big Four” then could be seen to be gaining from assests which they should not have had in the first place? Therefore I would suggest that they should all be traded to the highest bidder.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:08pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
I think they did the wrong thing, but the players didn’t – if you compare it to profiting from crime than you can say that Schappelle cannot write about anyone except herself, not even mentioning names, as the names would profit from it as well. But I think if the Dragons can back-end a contract for Gasnier than the Storm should be able to ask players to take a pay cut or something along those lines. Unfair treatment of how Melbourne are told to cull off players whereas the Dragons are told to re-capture long lost sons. We gain a convert in Kogarah, but may lose several in Melbourne, the numbers don’t add up.
I think the expansion clubs (which I believe are inevitable) will help this salary cap debacle. A lot of people believe that more expansion clubs will dilute the talent, but it will have the adverse affect as it will help more players get more game time, and their will be an extra 7 mill to spend on buying talent. That could keep the likes of the “Big Four” in Aus and in Rugby League.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:12pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
Also the trend is getting into motion of english players coming out here, Ellis and Burgess have been outstanding, the better English players will also be targets for new teams
July 13th 2010 @ 10:29pm
Mr Cool said | July 13th 2010 @ 10:29pm | Report comment
With so much money being payed to Aussie has beens in England, How much do you think those two YOUNG Poms were given to come here. I’ll bet it wasn’t ‘play for pay’.. Only Saints get away with that ‘STORY’
July 13th 2010 @ 3:22pm
Rabbitz said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
Corey, here is the nub of the problem. I believe the players are implicated as they would have signed multiple contracts, i.e. for the two sets of books. If they did sign multiple contracts, I said IF, then they are complicit and are guilty of the breach and should be directly punished.
As for the Corby case, if she was to write a book about her illegal activities and incarceration and sell it, she could have the profits taken. This has been done before. I don’t actually know if the Australian Government and legal system could do it if it was all done offshore however – but the principle remains
July 13th 2010 @ 3:30pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:30pm | Report comment
I agree Rabbitz, although I don’t think the players are at fault, I think the managers and player-managers are at fault here. Player-managers only say what will make their bank balance bigger. Even when they say the player is loyal to the game it’s to generate love for the player by the community so a team will want them even more = more money. But if they are in breach then they should be punished.
The funny thing about this Storm Saga is that in 20 – 30 years a salary cap will either be null and void or loosely regulated that the Storm will be looked back on as heroes of the furthering of League being a competitive market for talent. And one day League players may not be so easily bought, all thanks to Brian ‘Wally’ Waldron.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:21am
Gareth said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Don’t forget that Cam Smith is his own player-manager.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:41pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
wasn’t two sets of books people, Gallop use that as an analogy, which has been taken out of context by the media… the has later retracted this statement, however the damage had been done.\
oh and Gareth, cam smith has only very recently become his own player manager…
July 13th 2010 @ 3:02pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
Rabbitz I think the problem was that they were over the cap not only because of the Big Four but everyone else they kept bringing in. They can keep the Big Four but you can’t then bring in players like Brett Finch, you can’t keep replacing like for like so Dallas Johnson goes and they bring in Todd Lowrie, you can’t have back up for Cameron Smith like Ryan Hinchcliffe. Melbourne’s undoing was that they couldn’t say no to stockpiling players while still paying the stars the big bucks. If you want 4 guns then you have to be prepared to balance that with 5 or 6 rookies.
July 13th 2010 @ 3:16pm
Rabbitz said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
Fair comment Steve. I guess it comes down to how “valuable” is the second string roster (if I can use that term).
July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm
Jay said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
Steve – Melbourne also had to shed many players over the years which has to date been overlooked, and its fair to say the player they’ve let go have never re-captured their form – Kafusi, Ben Cross, Steve Turner, Tomane, Crocker, Anderson etc.
For all their breaches and roarting – you have to admit that they had a damn good blueprint re player recruitment and development. Players who headed south were youngsters and fringe (or abandoned) first graders. Bellamy has done a terrific job with them, and I bet no other coach with his roster would have made it to 4 GF and won 2 premierships (taking into to account the work put in to develop the ‘big 4′ – just look at Cronk, bench interchange player who has been transformed into one of the best halfbacks in the NRL).
July 13th 2010 @ 3:43pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Agree mate, and as QLDer I say thank you to the Storm, for we have ridden on a wave of success due to the Storm players and Mal. You can have a team of champions, but a champion team is worth much more.
July 14th 2010 @ 9:34pm
Jeff said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:34pm | Report comment
Another point Corey, you can pay your team as much money as you will, It still doesn’t make them a championship team, Many have tried, many have failed.
True teams have been ‘built not bought’
July 13th 2010 @ 5:11pm
Steve Kaless said | July 13th 2010 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
Jay, Its certainly true they have let go of quality players but they still went out and recruited solid first graders, McDougall, Finch etc. rather than promote the young blokes early which is what most clubs ahve to do to stay under the cap. You’ll get no bigger fan of the Storm development than me, but they got greedy.
July 13th 2010 @ 10:41pm
Mr Cool said | July 13th 2010 @ 10:41pm | Report comment
Hey Steve, Finch and Lowrie were both UNWANTED by their clubs, I will bet that Lowrie didn’t get anywhere close to Johnson’s salary. and whist I am seething. how many other players with potential have we lost these last three years. I am sure that the number is way in front of imported players. Falou is the biggest but there are many others.
C’mon give us a break and write about something else!. like the state of the game and how the quality is declining. because teams cannot keep their playing staff stable. We the fans have paid for the indiscretions of a few, now let us get on with rebuilding and cease this crap about who wants our players. remember, they are all cheats, so there should be only Melbourne fans putting their hands up.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:47pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
Mr Cool, this is about the most sensible thing i’ve heard on on this whole topic… You want to grow the game, get some damn stablitiy into it… revolving door clubs, balancing the talent to suit the bottom clubs and not the top clubs is killing the game…
July 14th 2010 @ 9:48pm
Mr Cool said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:48pm | Report comment
Thanks Dan, there are a few fans on this forum, who have labelled me a silly old twit, They are so suffering from tunnel vision that they only see how things USED to be. Like it or not The actions of Storm have opened Pandora’s box, players will now be wanting better deals with less restrictions on their earning power. Clubs will look at Storm’s success and say, why can’t we create a better team, they will find the answer in the word that we two have singled out STABILITY.
Changes must come and the sooner the better for all clubs, especially the ones that are now building a good young team only to lose them again as soon as they taste success. for this reason alone we must move on.
Unfortunately our games admin fall into the Tunnel Vision Brigade and I cannot see anything being accomplished in the short number of years that I have left! .
July 14th 2010 @ 12:39pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
AH-HEM!
the stom did not ASSEMBLE “the big four”, they scouted them as juniors, devloped players who other clubs didn’t want (Cam Smith was told by the broncos that he was too small to ever make… OOOPS), the looked for ways to expoit the cap to keep their (as in talent that they had created) together
July 14th 2010 @ 9:51pm
Mr Cool said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
STABILITY — all you non believers please look up this word in your dictionary. You will find it under S.
July 13th 2010 @ 1:49pm
apaway said | July 13th 2010 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
This is only semi-related to the topic, but I wanted to point out something I found objectionable about ABC 702 radio’s rugby league coverage last Sunday. When giving the competition table, David Morrow kept on referring to Melbourne as having “22 points or 0 points, depending on your point of view.”
I don’t understand this. Melbourne have 0 points, no point of view needed.
And Hutchoman, I agree wholeheartedly. Manly don’t need a fullback who can’t tackle.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:34pm
Hutchoman said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
He seems to be able to tackle very well, albeit more in the soccer style … Slater for Melbourne Heart anyone?
July 13th 2010 @ 3:56pm
Jay said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
I think the ABCs comments were in reference to the pending court case in the Victorian Supreme Court. Melbourne could potentially have the points reinstated (though I think they are moreso after their premierships) depedning on the outcome of the case.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:51pm
Dan said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
You know that depending on what happens in this court case, if the NRL are found to have done the wrong thing by not giving them a fair trial, denying the storm the right to compete for points will render the entire season null and void. By denying them the right to compete, and hence competing in the finals should they earn the right, the entire season could be struck from the record books… you want to talk about a disaster for the game? having that happen would make the super league war look like a lover’s tiff…
July 13th 2010 @ 2:01pm
The man said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Steve – on balance Smith would be a better addition to the Saints than Cronk, but not by much, especially given the ability of a Cronk to potentially move into hooker.
The real question is who should Melbourne try to keep?
July 13th 2010 @ 2:09pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
their trying to keep the big 4..
1,4,,7,9 they are basically keeping the spine..they’ve unleashed some good backs and have some young forwards coming through too
July 13th 2010 @ 2:35pm
Hutchoman said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
I thought Dean Young was getting lined up as the next hooker down Ocky Bliff way?
July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm
Jay said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
and Nathan Fein..
July 14th 2010 @ 3:40pm
The man said | July 14th 2010 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
To be a hooker you need to pass, something that Dean is currently incapable of.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:08pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
If any of the big four leave..sadly it will be to another code not another nrl team
July 13th 2010 @ 2:15pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
I don’t think Cam Smith could swap codes though, he would definitely not make it as a hooker in Union and he wouldn’t be agile enough for AFL. But the others could cross to other codes quite smoothly.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:18pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
Yeh smith probably not, would probably head to the UK – he though is probably the one most certain to stay
July 13th 2010 @ 3:27pm
apaway said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:27pm | Report comment
Smith to the Victory or the Heart. He can kick with both feet, something alot of A-League players haven’t mastered yet.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:24pm
Brett McKay said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
Mitch, of the four, Cronk is the first one I’d be targetting, and probably only Inglis as another one. Smith could theoretically keep wearing a no.9 jumper, but neither he or Slater look the right fit for rugby to me..
July 13th 2010 @ 2:30pm
JF said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Forget Inglis too, haven’t we learnt our lesson? Unless someone has a background in Rugby ala Cronk, and therefore an appreciation for the game and its culture, we should not go near them. GI is a phenomenal athelete, but I would not like to see him playing rugby.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:35pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
Good point JF, and Brett, may be as a number 9, at least he can pass the ball, in comparison to Luke Burgess. Can I just say I think Burgess is a shocking player and if he keeps playing for the Wallabies he will make people look at the Wallabies as a FORMER power in Union. But off him, I do think Cronk can convert, although he seems to love where he is at for the time being. He loves Melbourne, he loves Melbourne Storm and he loves playing in the QLD team. So I think Cronk will be the least likely to move out of all the players, although this is when RL officials are at their most vulnerable – when they are too complacent.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:50pm
JF said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Cronk played at 10 for Aust Schoolboys I think, this would suit him best, Rugby SH is completely different to RL HB.
Bit harsh on Burgess, his form has been excellent in his last Wallabies performances.
July 13th 2010 @ 2:58pm
Corey said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
really?! The intercept Burgess got on the scrum against Ireland is the only thing I think that is keeping him in the team – luckily Genia is back.
For the number 9 for Union I was agreeing with Brett on the Cam Smith question. In both codes the Number 9 is the guy who makes sure the team goes forward, even against a great defensive team. I have seen teams with bad 9′s go backwards although their forwards are better than the other team.
I saw a game in the Ipswich RL comp where this team had a small, wiry hooker who looked more suited to supporting rather then playing, and the team went nowhere, they hadn’t scored a try, they brought in the U/18′s hooker halfway through the 1st half and in his first 2 sets with his ball passing they scored 2 tries. All he did was direct the team by choosing the right option and setting up the next play, where the other guy gave it to the loudest person or the most entertaining person.
July 13th 2010 @ 3:02pm
Brett McKay said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
way harsh on Burgess, Corey, especially in these June Tests just gone. But that’s an aside…
JF, you’re right, from the little I’ve been able to find about Cronk’s rugby days, he was a 10 or 12 for Aus and Qld Schoolboys, and played mainly at 10 for his school (whose name currently escapes me). Melbourne basically signed him straight from school, which certainly explains his desire to stay put, and which I have to commend, actually.
That all said, you’re quite correct below about the Rebels and Storm wanting to work together, and the Rebels – despite constant links – have steered clear of the Storm players. And given that the Rebels’ roster is pretty well done now, we might just be engaging in wishful thinking anyway…
July 13th 2010 @ 3:15pm
JF said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
St Lawrences
July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm
Brett McKay said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
yep, that’s the one, cheers JF…
July 13th 2010 @ 3:56pm
Hoy said | July 13th 2010 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
I think he was 12 to Gits’ 10 for Aus Schools.
July 13th 2010 @ 4:11pm
Brett McKay said | July 13th 2010 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
Hoy, without looking it all back up again, I thought Cronk and Giteau were different years. Cronk was in Elsom, and Gerrard’s year from memory (2000, I think)
EDIT: I’ve looked it up – Giteau was in the same year Hoy, my apologies. Elsom, Gerrard, Giteau, Turinui, Valentine, Chapman, Hynes, Higendorf, Ben Hand, all in the same side…
(http://austschools.rugbynet.com.au/verve/_resources/NURSERIES_OF_AUSTRALIAN_SCHOOLBOYS_RUGBY_BY_YEAR.pdf)
July 13th 2010 @ 2:32pm
M1tch said | July 13th 2010 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Cronk as a srcumhalf or flyhalf?