Trent Robinson will consider the idea of playing his returning co-captain alongside the impressive rookie in the grand final.
The Roosters five-eighth says there is more to the battle between two of the game's sharpest minds than meets the eye.
His testy relationship with former Storm teammate has been well documented,but Cooper Cronk could not have been more emphatic when talking of his respect for Cameron Smith on Monday.
A monitoring service has analysed NRL player mentions across major media outlets to determine who has garnered the most headlines in 2019.
The club where Roosters halfback Cooper Cronk made his name is hoping to bring down the curtain on his career in the preliminary final.
The New Zealand international risks missing the grand final qualifier for tripping Rabbitohs star James Roberts.
Both Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Zane Tetevano were placed on report as the Rabbitohs shored up their top-four spot.
More than 2500 games of NRL experience is hanging up the boots at the end of the season,including some of the modern game's biggest names.
Canterbury utility Chris Smith would be free to play with an early guilty plea for his contentious hit on Ryan Matterson for which he was sin-binned.
Cameron Smith had a private dinner on Thursday night for those who have played a role in his career to mark his 400th game. Cooper Cronk was not there.
Cooper Cronk has defended the Roosters'resting policy as the club fights to rediscover their best football during a torrid Origin period.