Super Cronk
04-03-06, 02:09 PM
Theage.com.au
THE Melbourne Storm will be better off this year without Matt Orford because the former star half-back, for all his on-field brilliance, could not produce the team-oriented style needed for the Storm to be a premiership contender, recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said yesterday.
With the National Rugby League season to start next Friday, the Storm had spent the off-season bedding down a new game plan centred around new half-back Cooper Cronk and his partnership with five-eighth Scott Hill.
It was a game plan O'Sullivan was confident would produce a style that the Storm had been trying, but failing, to produce for several years. It is also one that O'Sullivan said could not have been implemented had Orford not jumped ship to Manly at the end of last season. O'Sullivan said Orford had a tendency to "play the way Ox (Orford) wanted to play, rather than for the betterment of the team". It was not the only flaw in the fabric of the team structure but the Orford-led on-field performance was often exposed against the better outfits.
The Storm starts its season against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland next Sunday and O'Sullivan said he was confident the new style of play, where Cronk would use Hill as a link man to his classy outside backs and run off the forwards more than Orford, would take the Storm past its recent semi-final ceiling.
Cronk is one of several players coming out of contract this year but O'Sullivan, who went to Sydney yesterday for talks with Cronk's manager, said he was confident an extension could be finalised within days.
After an off-season of speculation about Cronk's ability to step into the position previously held by stars Orford and Brett Kimmorley, the 22-year-old's pre-season form has impressed. He has been mentored by former Test five-eighth Matthew Johns.
"I always said Cooper Cronk was a better player than Matt Orford at the same age and same stage of careers, so Cronk taking the next step was not a risk," O'Sullivan said.
Cronk, who has spent the past couple of seasons as a back-up for hooker Cameron Smith and Orford, or as a stand-in for five-eighth Hill, said he was looking forward to the start of his first NRL season as a first-choice player.
"It's been really enjoyable," he said. "The coaching staff at the Storm have shown me a lot of faith and given me the first crack (at half-back). The hard work has been done so hopefully, it turns out good for me with performances on the paddock from here on in.
"It's exciting to go into a season having a particular role to play in the team. I've got the chance at it now but I haven't established myself as yet.
"There's still a lot of work to be done to fulfil having the No. 7 jersey."
Cronk said he wanted to stay in Melbourne and was confident negotiations for a three-year deal with the Storm would be finished by next week, and he could continue to concentrate on the encouraging partnership with Hill that was on devastating show against the Broncos last weekend.
He said he did not feel any pressure taking over from Orford. "Pressure's what you make of it, mate. The guys around me are helping me out and so are the coaching staff, so we're just playing footy and having a bit of fun with it," he said.
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As another storm fan said on the storm forum "thems fightin words!"
THE Melbourne Storm will be better off this year without Matt Orford because the former star half-back, for all his on-field brilliance, could not produce the team-oriented style needed for the Storm to be a premiership contender, recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said yesterday.
With the National Rugby League season to start next Friday, the Storm had spent the off-season bedding down a new game plan centred around new half-back Cooper Cronk and his partnership with five-eighth Scott Hill.
It was a game plan O'Sullivan was confident would produce a style that the Storm had been trying, but failing, to produce for several years. It is also one that O'Sullivan said could not have been implemented had Orford not jumped ship to Manly at the end of last season. O'Sullivan said Orford had a tendency to "play the way Ox (Orford) wanted to play, rather than for the betterment of the team". It was not the only flaw in the fabric of the team structure but the Orford-led on-field performance was often exposed against the better outfits.
The Storm starts its season against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland next Sunday and O'Sullivan said he was confident the new style of play, where Cronk would use Hill as a link man to his classy outside backs and run off the forwards more than Orford, would take the Storm past its recent semi-final ceiling.
Cronk is one of several players coming out of contract this year but O'Sullivan, who went to Sydney yesterday for talks with Cronk's manager, said he was confident an extension could be finalised within days.
After an off-season of speculation about Cronk's ability to step into the position previously held by stars Orford and Brett Kimmorley, the 22-year-old's pre-season form has impressed. He has been mentored by former Test five-eighth Matthew Johns.
"I always said Cooper Cronk was a better player than Matt Orford at the same age and same stage of careers, so Cronk taking the next step was not a risk," O'Sullivan said.
Cronk, who has spent the past couple of seasons as a back-up for hooker Cameron Smith and Orford, or as a stand-in for five-eighth Hill, said he was looking forward to the start of his first NRL season as a first-choice player.
"It's been really enjoyable," he said. "The coaching staff at the Storm have shown me a lot of faith and given me the first crack (at half-back). The hard work has been done so hopefully, it turns out good for me with performances on the paddock from here on in.
"It's exciting to go into a season having a particular role to play in the team. I've got the chance at it now but I haven't established myself as yet.
"There's still a lot of work to be done to fulfil having the No. 7 jersey."
Cronk said he wanted to stay in Melbourne and was confident negotiations for a three-year deal with the Storm would be finished by next week, and he could continue to concentrate on the encouraging partnership with Hill that was on devastating show against the Broncos last weekend.
He said he did not feel any pressure taking over from Orford. "Pressure's what you make of it, mate. The guys around me are helping me out and so are the coaching staff, so we're just playing footy and having a bit of fun with it," he said.
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As another storm fan said on the storm forum "thems fightin words!"