Cronk needs ‘miracle’ to be fit for decider
A LEADING sports physiotherapist has claimed Sydney Roosters half Cooper Cronk would have to be “absolutely super human” to recover for Sunday’s NRL grand final against Melbourne.
And Cronk’s looming withdrawal could see Roosters coach Trent Robinson gamble with one-game rookie Sean O’Sullivan as halfback for the big match.
Well-known physio Brien Seeney said Cronk’s left rotator cuff injury usually ensured a player would miss four to six weeks.
Seeney agreed it would take a “miracle” for Cronk to recover within six days.
Cronk sustained the injury during his side’s gritty 12-4 win over South Sydney in Saturday night’s preliminary final.
At best, Cronk is less than a 30 per cent chance of playing.
Should he play strapped and needled, Melbourne would no doubt send 115kg forward Nelson AsofaSolomona directly to the No.7 all game.
It would appear Cronk will require surgery after the grand final – whether he plays or not – before facing a four to six-month recovery.
The Roosters issued a statement yesterday that said the injury was “severe”.
Seeney said yesterday: “They quoted it as severe.“Usually when you’re talking severe, you’re talking complete rupture. So you’ve got ‘minor’ which is grade one, moderate is grade two and then severe, which is grade three.
“If it’s a partial tear, it can be anywhere from a month to two months. For a severe injury, where there’s a full rupture, the usual practice is surgery with a four to sixmonth recovery.”
O’Sullivan has played just one game of NRL – a round 18 match this year against Gold Coast at Cbus Stadium.
Jake Friend is free to play due to the Sydney Roosters co-captain's clean record. Friend was charged with a grade-one dangerous tackle for his lifting effort on Greg Inglis, no carryover points.