Cooper Cronk is set to become 4th NRL Player to reach 350 appearance

Sydney Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk is set to become just the fourth player to reach 350 NRL games in the opening round of the 2019 season against the Rabbitohs. Cronk is tied with Manly great Steve Menzies on 349 games and will join Terry Lamb, Darren Lockyer and Smith in the top four.

The 35-year-old could finish the year, and possibly his career, ranked second behind Smith overall with Lockyer's 355-game record also within reach. Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen requires 24 games to reach the 350-game milestone. Gallen managed 22 games in 2018 but will need a healthy clean sheet in a bid to pass Menzies as the longest-serving running forward.

Cronk's bravery shines in another year of scandal

It is hard to go past Cooper Cronk's unbelievable bravery to play with a broken scapula in the Sydney Roosters triumph against his former club Melbourne. The Roosters went above and beyond to keep everybody guessing about whether Cronk would play. The halfback himself remained unsure all week, so to remain on the field and bark orders the
way he did will never be forgotten. Cronk's evil glare at former friend Cameron Smith after he tried to hammer his shoulder was just as memorable. As club doctor, Ameer Ibrahim, said of Cronk's injury at the time: "It’s the most heroic thing I’ve ever seen. That fracture is what you see with motorbike accidents and car accidents. That's 11 out of 10 pain."

Cooper Cronk directs his premier winning teammates around the park in the 2018 NRL Grand Final

WHAT A CRONK Sydney Roosters general Cooper Cronk played with a busted shoulder in the NRL grand final against his former team, Melbourne Storm. After being given the maximum doses of anaesthetic pre-game and again at halftime, the halfback marshalled the
Roosters to the premiership in a 21-6 belting of the Storm. Cronk made just nine tackles, threw only 14 passes, didn’t attempt a run but he directed traffic and entered sporting folklore.

Cronk eyes back-to-back titles with Chooks

Cooper Cronk has "no idea" how a side can muster the hunger to achieve back-to-back NRL titles, admitting he has fallen into the mental traps that come with a premiership ring. After 15 seasons, five grand final wins from eight deciders, 349 NRL games, 38 Tests, 22 Origins, two Dally Ms and a Golden Boot, there isn't much the 35-year-old hasn't achieved. However being a part of a side to win two straight premierships is one of the few things missing from the Roosters maestro's glittering resume.

He's gone close several times and even lifted the Provan-Summons Trophy in 2017 and 2018. But that was with two different sides - Melbourne and the Roosters. And with no team over the past quarter of a century having found a way to back-up, how does Cronk expect the Tricolours to in 2019? "I've got no idea," Cronk said. "A lot of teams have spoken about it, a lot of teams have tried to do it. A lot of teams have failed over a long period of time. "For me, I don't think an individual award or a grand final achievement is ever really the peak for me as an individual. It's always a great achievement but there's always some other mountain to climb.

Twist emerges in sour Cronk-Smith rivalry

Cooper Cronk hasn't ruled out playing on into 2020 and a shot at crossing the illustrious 400-game NRL milestone.Having blown out the candles on his 35th birthday cake on Wednesday, the Sydney Roosters premiership hero was widely expected to hang up his boots at the end of his current contract next season. However, the former Queensland and Australian playmaker kept the rugby league world guessing on Friday when he casually said he hadn't decided either way on a 17th campaign.

Leaving the door ajar means he could potentially bring up 400 games before retiring. He will become just the fourth player in the league's history to crack 350 games when he runs out for the first time next year. Former Melbourne teammate Cameron Smith (384 games) is expected to be the first to bring up 400 midway through next year, provided the off-contract veteran can strike a new deal with the Storm. Cronk's potential chase of Smith's likely record is a new dimension to the silent feud between the pair following his exit out of Melbourne.

Cronk to be fit for opening NRL round

Cooper Cronk will be fit to kick off Sydney Roosters' NRL premiership defence after undergoing successful surgery on his shoulder. Cronk's herculean effort to play through the grand final with a fractured left scapula will go down in premiership folklore, and he was required to have a plate inserted after the match. Off-contract at the end of 2019, the Roosters confirmed on Tuesday Cronk will have no issue running out against South Sydney in the opening round at the SCG.

Former Rabbitoh Angus Crichton will also be available after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder to fix an ongoing issue. Fellow forward Zane Tetevano was also injured in the grand final win over Melbourne, but will recover from his ruptured bicep in time for round one in March. But the news isn't so good for newcomer Ryan Hall, who is still expected to miss the start of the campaign after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Wigan last Super League season.