Trent Robinson not only thinks Cooper Cronk deserves Immortal status, he has declared him the greatest player in the game’s recent history.
But before you start driving your pitchforks through the screen, Robinson’s claim does come with two heavy caveats.
A: He is his club coach and has a declared bias towards the man who helped the club to a premiership under extraordinary circumstances just eight months ago.
B: When Robinson says Cronk is the game’s best player, he is judging it on where the No.7 started his career and where he will finish it.
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“I’m biased but I don’t think anyone’s got more out of themselves than Cooper,” the Roosters boss explained.
“Cooper’s the greatest player in the game with the strengths that he came into the game with, worked on and evolved.
“He played in some really good teams but there was a constant within those teams and that was Cooper, as well as the other two (Cam Smith and Billy Slater) we talked about.
“He’s the greatest team player I’ve ever seen.”
Cronk gave us some insight into what drove him to prove himself in those early days at the Storm where he was seen as a bit player who could fill a number of positions.
“I probably didn’t have the best kick or pass or running game but I had a pretty good work ethic,” he said.
“That’s what Craig (Bellamy) saw. If he told me to make 10 tackles extra at training, I’d make 20.
“If he told me to kick the ball 100 times, I kicked it 200 times.
“You get judged on your good and your bad pretty quickly (in the NRL) and most young halves think it’s all about scoring tries, setting up tries and all the flamboyant stuff.
“To have a 10, 12, 15-year career in the halfback position, you need to be able to make your tackles and kick well.
“Everything else can be added. As long as you’ve got will, you can teach skill.”
So, onto the touchy subject of future Immortal status and whether Cronk deserves to be in the discussion alongside former teammates Slater, Smith and Greg Inglis.
A modest Cronk, with a straight face, said his only role in those formidable Melbourne sides was to receive the ball from one future Immortal (Smith) and pass it to another future Immortal (Slater).
Robinson was having none of that.
“Cooper plonks himself in the middle and says all I did was receive off one and give to the other, but I know Billy has spoken about the impact he’s had on his career,” the Roosters coach said.
“This man is one of the greats. He’s had an impact on and off the field in rugby league and we’re a better game for it.
“I believe he is (a future Immortal). What’s your role in a team sport and has anyone embodied that more than Cooper Cronk?”