However, Cronk, who is battling a shoulder injury which has him in severe doubt for the decider, is entitled to feel comfortable about comparisons with James after leading Sydney Roosters to an historic grand final against his former Melbourne team-mates at ANZ Stadium next Sunday.If the Storm win they will become the first team to claim back-to-back premierships in a united competition for 25 years, while Cronk could become the first player to achieve the feat for different clubs since another former Roosters halfback, Johnny Mayes, who moved to Bondi in 1974 after helping Manly to grand final
success in 1973.According to League Information Services' David Middleton, Mayes is one of just five players to have won grand finals in consecutive years with different clubs, including Manly team-mates John O'Neill and Ray Branighan, who had joined the Sea Eagles from the 1972 premiership winning South Sydney team.If he is able to overcome a shoulder injury to steer the Roosters to premiership glory, Cronk will join "Webby" Neill (Souths 1909/Newtown 1910) and George Watt (Balmain 1944/Easts 1945) as the only players to have won a grand final against the club they helped win the previous season. The fact so few players have stood on the winner's dais after consecutive grand finals is further proof that the Telstra Premiership is arguably the most even competition in world sport, with the run of 24 years without back-to-back premiers also being the longest in the game's 110-year history.
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