Cronulla Sharks confirm interest in Maroons superstar Cooper Cronk - if he decides to play on
CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI, The Daily Telegraph
July 11, 2017 8:39pm
THE focus on Cooper Cronk’s next move will go into overdrive after Wednesday night’s Origin decider, regardless if he leads Queensland to glory, and Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan confirmed he will happily discuss having the superstar playmaker in the Shire if he plays on.
And for the first time, Flanagan has conceded if Cronk did end up at the Sharks, it would be tough to stand in the way of
James Maloney pursuing a big-money deal at a rival club.
The only way the premiers would be able to seriously entertain Cronk should he extend his NRL career — the smart money remains on him retiring — would be to release his NSW rival Maloney from the final year of his deal.
“I do talk to Cooper’s manager (George Mimis) once a week, but Cooper is Cooper, he won’t make a decision until after Origin, and your guess is as good as mine if he’ll play on or not,’’ Flanagan told The Daily Telegraph.
“There was no way Cooper was going to go back on his word and make a decision before Wednesday night. If he was to play on, we’ll see how we go.
“We have Jimmy who is comfortable at the moment, but if clubs are offering him big money, $1 million to go elsewhere, it will be hard to keep him.
“If it’s true clubs will pay him $1 million, I can’t go there. But he’s on contract with us next year, I’ll stand by that, and I think he’ll stand by that.
“If there’s an option there for us, we’ll see what happens.’’
Already declaring he wants to be in Sydney closer to his Fox Sports presenter partner Tara Rushton, Cronk’s Sydney options appear limited this late in the season.
Maloney has another year to run, but is holding out for more money, and has reportedly had several rivals, including Newcastle and South Sydney, prepared to grant him that wish.
Cronulla would only give thought to releasing him if they had a like-for-like replacement become available like Cronk.
When Cronk first made the April announcement he would quit the Storm at season’s end, Maloney quipped to TV reporters at the time: “Where’s he going?
“Cronulla? S**t, I might be out of a job.’’
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n/news-story/57a8b1d5b14abbb954834c7f97d9e4bc