MELBOURNE halfback Cooper Cronk has emerged as a shock leading contender for the vacant Australian No. 7 jersey, The Saturday Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart this week named Cronk on a shortlist of three halves in line to take over from Andrew Johns for the October/November Tri Nations series.
Cronk has capped a remarkable 2006 with the Storm to be currently jockeying for a start with Manly's Matt Orford and injured North Queensland star Johnathan Thurston. Penrith skipper Craig Gower and Wests Tigers half Scott Prince appear to be the only other chances.
Stuart, however, confirmed Melourne's irresistible form combined with the fact Cronk and Orford are likely to be the only candidates on show in the finals has the 22-year-old Brisbane junior at the forefront.
"You have to acknowledge the fact he's in a very important position in a team that's going very well," Stuart said. "He's directed them around the park well. He's a major part of where they are at the moment.
"(Playing finals football) is a huge advantage, that's been proven over the years. Statistically, the majority of the team has been picked from semi-final players. They've got the last standing rights to put their performances on the board."
Stuart rated Cronk and Orford, neither of whom have played State of Origin, "the form halfbacks of the competition". Ironically, the Storm was expected to struggle this season with Cronk taking the reins from Orford, who switched to Brookvale after five impressive seasons in Melbourne.
Now, despite playing just 54 NRL games, Cronk is eyeballing his predecessor for national honours as Melbourne canter toward the minor premiership.
"It's been an outstanding rise to the level he's at now," Stuart said. "Even his coach Craig Bellamy has come out and said he did not
expect him to rise to this level so quickly."
Chairman of selectors Bob McCarthy described Cronk's elevation as "super". "You could have had him during the State of Origin series Queensland has got so many good halfbacks."
The Maroons' incumbent, Thurston, is still in the frame despite being unlikely to play again before the series because of a knee injury.
On Wednesday night Stuart spoke with Thurston who played off the bench this year's Anzac Test to assure the reigning Dally M medallist he would be given every chance.
"He basically wanted to know if he needed to play a game of football (to be considered)," Stuart said. "I told him it would be stupid to rush back and re-injure the knee.
"I think he's earned the right to be named in the train-on squad and if he's fit and ready then we will make a decision from there."
McCarthy said selectors were "not bothered" by concerns Thurston could be underdone. "With Billy Johnstone training them, he is going to be super fit anyway.
"Plus the Warriors are not going to make the finals, so most of the (New Zealand) players will have not played for a while either."
