Cronk at ease even if finale

COOPER Cronk says he will not let the emotion surrounding what could be his final Origin series cloud his job heading into Wednesday night’s series decider.

Cronk has still not made a decision on his future, but if he plays his final Origin game next week, he said he would walk away more than happy with what he has achieved.

Cronk will leave Melbourne at the end of the season to relocate to Sydney but has not yet decided whether to continue his NRL career.

And he will approach next week’s match just as he has his previous 21 for Queensland.

“I take in the moment whenever you run out for an Origin game, in particular at Suncorp,” Cronk said.

“I can’t explain what that feeling is when you run on to Suncorp Stadium, but when and if I do retire, that’s one thing I would love to be able to bottle and open up at some other stage.

“Whether it is my last or not, I don’t think I’ll take in any more than I have before because I like to think that I play with a lot of passion and care.

“I think the way to really be successful is you really need to keep that internal and focus on the process things and if that (retirement) does come, you know you can look back and be proud because you know you did what it took to get the result.

“I’ve made the mistake at times this year of looking too far ahead and trying to figure out what it does look like and what the outcome is.

“I can tell you right now, I’m very much thinking short term and thinking about what I can do the next session to be successful on Wednesday and then all the other stuff will fall into place if that does happen.”

Queensland captain Cameron Smith says he doesn’t know whether Cronk will play on but if he had to guess, he would lean towards him walking away.

If he does, Cronk will go out

I’VE MADE THE MISTAKE AT TIMES THIS YEAR OF LOOKING TOO FAR AHEAD COOPER CRONK

comfortable with what he has achieved in the game.

“I’m pretty content,” he said. “If you had’ve told me when I was 15 or 16 and growing up on the southside of Brisbane that in 2017, this is what you would have achieved, I would have rolled around laughing and said, ‘That’s completely not true’.

“Sometimes we strive for what we don’t have in life but I’m pretty comfortable.”

While he will attempt to make an analytical decision, Cronk admitted there was no way emotion could be taken out of it.