Exit will not pierce armour of Cooper
THE Kangaroos insist the Mitchell Pearce saga will not derail Cooper Cronk as Australia’s halfback prepares to enter the same stratosphere as Test icon Clive Churchill.
Churchill is rated by many as the greatest player of alltime and Cronk will equal the Souths legend with his 37th international in Friday night’s World Cup semi-final against Fiji at Suncorp Stadium.
It has been a testing buildup for Cronk, whose decision to sign with the Roosters has ignited a contractual firestorm with Pearce – the disgruntled halfback he will replace at Bondi next season.
But Roosters and Kangaroos forward Boyd Cordner is adamant the Bondi brouhaha will be the last thing on Cronk’s mind when he attempts to beat the Bati and steer Australia to the World Cup final.
“Cooper’s a professional,” Cordner said.
“He is where he is because of the man and the player he is.
“I’ve spoken to Cooper. It is only natural for him to feel that way coming to a new club but I re-assured him we (Roosters players) are happy he is coming.
“It’s not his fault. It’s football. It happens. Something like this is not a burden for him or a distraction at all.”
It could take up to a week before Pearce decides his NRL future, with Manly, Cronulla and Newcastle locked in a three-way chequebook war.
Fiji will have chilling memories of their last World Cup meeting with Cronk and the Kangaroos.
Exactly four years ago in the 2013 World Cup semi-final, the Bati were embarrassed 64-0 as Cronk and Johnathan Thurston engineered an 11-try massacre at famous Wembley.
Kangaroos centre Jarryd Hayne scored a hat-trick that day to end Fiji’s tournament. Now he runs onto Suncorp Stadium as the Bati five-eighth who must counter the playmaking brilliance of Cronk.
Australia are expected to thrash the Fijians again but Cordner is wary of a Bati side buoyed by their shock 4-2 defeat of New Zealand last week.
“I thought they were really good,” he said.
“Especially at the start of the tournament, the team they had on paper, it’s a pretty impressive side.
“A lot of their players are in good form and they have shown through the tournament, they were dominant in their early games.
“Their back five is really strong.”