Cooper Cronk will be made a Sydney Roosters life membership as work begins to ensure he will be a part of the club’s coaching staff in 2020.
Cronk was honoured at Tuesday night’s club presentation, where Roosters supremo Nick Politis confirmed the club planned on keeping him around in 2020.
Chief executive Joe Kelly and and coach Trent Robinson will begin working on the finer details, after the retiring halfback steered the club to two titles in two years there.
“I spoke to your manager a couple of days ago and I told him … I was going to sit down with Trent and Joe and come to some arrangement for you to stay on and become part of our coaching staff next year,” Politis told Cronk on stage.
“Hopefully you can develop another Cooper Cronk for us.”
Cronk also indicated he was keen to stay on in a role.
“For every moment the red white and blue have offered me, I guarantee that for however long I will be involved in this football club I will repay every faith,” he said.
Cronk’s presence would come as a significant boost to the Roosters, who have young half Kyle Flanagan arriving at the club next year to likely fill the No.7 jersey.
The veteran’s influence at the Roosters in his short time there has already been clear.
Luke Keary has improved dramatically at five-eighth while playing alongside Cronk, while almost every other Roosters player has credited the veteran with some individual improvement.
Sunday’s grand final was Cronk’s ninth, while his six wins in deciders is the equal most of any halfback in history.
It prompted Robinson to praise Cronk as “the greatest thinker ever to play rugby league”, after he also had success at both State of Origin and international level.
Meanwhile Cronk was also put forward for life membership at the club, with his status to be voted on at next February AGM.
If approved, he will join the likes of Arthur Beetson, Luke Ricketson, Brad Fittler, Anthony Minichiello, Russell Fairfax and Jack Gibson.
“Cooper you make me so proud to be part of the club and be here for the two years you were here with us and achieve what we did. We created history,” Politis said.
“You’ve been given a lot of honour and presentation and gifts. In our club what we do for special people is award them a life membership.
“You came to us from the Storm and wrote history.
“The board will be recommending to the members you be granted life membership to the Sydney Roosters football club.
“I’m sure it will be given unanimous approval.”
Cronk labelled the honour as “the most humbling experience of my life”.