Cooper Cronk

Cooper Patrick Cronk (born 5 December 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s.

An n international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played most of his club career for the Melbourne Storm, though finished his career with the Sydney Roosters, both in the National Rugby League (NRL).

He attended St. Laurence's College, South Brisbane from 1994 to 2000, where he was in the school's 1st XV rugby union side for a number of years.

He started his career playing rugby union in Brisbane.

He was selected to play in the Australian Schoolboys squad along with former Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom.

In 2001, Cronk was selected to play rugby league for Queensland and Australian Schoolboys teams.

He was then selected to play in the Queensland Cup's Norths Devils team.

He quickly established himself in that competition and trained with the Storm Squad in 2003.

He scored 37 tries for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.

Cronk made his debut for the Melbourne Storm in 2004, starting as a utility back coming off the bench and playing at and.

In the 2006 NRL season, Cronk won the Dally M Halfback of the Year award.

He also played at half-back for Melbourne in the 2006 NRL Grand Final loss to Brisbane.

In 2008, Cronk was called into the Australian test team to replace Jonathan Thurston who had twisted his ankle in training.

Thurston later was cleared of injury and played in the test team over Cronk.

In August, 2008, Cronk was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, however he was not selected to make an appearance.

When Cameron Smith was sidelined by a NRL Judiciary suspension during Melbourne's finals campaign of the 2008 NRL season, Cronk stood in as captain and captained the Storm in the 2008 NRL Grand Final defeat by Manly Sea Eagles.

In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25-man squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin match for 2009, however he was not selected to make an appearance.

He played in the 2009 NRL Grand Final against the Parramatta Eels, setting up 2 tries.

This title was later stripped due to salary cap breaches.

Cronk was named as part of the Four Nations team and played for Australia in 2009 Four Nations Tournament in Australia against France as a utility.

Surgery on his groin saw Cronk miss Melbourne's appearance in the 2010 World Club Challenge.

An injury to Johnathan Thurston saw Cronk selected for the 2010 ANZAC Test.

Cronk played off the bench as a utility for Queensland in the 2010 State of Origin Series, playing in all three games.

In Game II, he scored his first Origin try.

He also played for Australia in the 2010 Four Nations.

Cronk played in the 2011 State of Origin Series.

In Game I, he set up a try for Jharal Yow Yeh in the second half and in Game III, he set up Greg Inglis as well.

In 2011, Cronk also played the tests against New Zealand at the Gold Coast and Newcastle on the bench.

Cronk was part of the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament, playing off the bench when the Kangaroos played the Kiwis and England.

Cooper Cronk has been selected to play Five-Eighth against Wales, with Johnathan Thurston at halfback, resting Darren Lockyer for the Four Nations Final.

In the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations between Australia and Wales, Cronk scored 3 tries and set-up 2 tries for Australia.

He also played in the Four Nations Grand Final against England.

During his sixteen-year career, Cronk won four NRL Premierships (in 2012 and 2017 with Melbourne, and 2018 and 2019 with Sydney) from nine NRL Grand Final appearances.

As of 29 March 2012 Cooper agreed to a further four years with the Melbourne Storm.

At the 2012 Dally M Awards Cronk was named the NRL's halfback of the year.

In the 2012 NRL Grand Final victory over Canterbury-Bankstown, he won the Clive Churchill Medal for the man of the match award.

Cronk kicked the game and series-winning field goal in the final minutes of the third State of Origin match in 2012.

He later said, "To be brutally honest I was in a state of grace at that particular moment. Every sinew in my body came together in one perfect whole. But those who have ever experienced that feeling, and it doesn't happen very often, Will Tell you it's in a whole other place of experience from the usual ego or vanity that drives my game. So I'm not afraid to own it for what it was."

He won the Dally M Medal as the NRL's player of the year in 2013 and 2016, the Clive Churchill Medal as best player in the 2012 NRL Grand Final, the Golden Boot Award as international player of the year in 2016, and the NRL's Dally M Halfback of the Year on five occasions.

Cooper Cronk was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.