The Roosters second-rower was excited about what the Queensland legend could bring to the club, both on and off the field. It's made the tricolours favourites for the 2018 premiership, but Cordner said that meant "nothing". Cronk's arrival has meant Pearce, who has won a premiership and played 238 NRL games for the Roosters, was considering his future at the club. He's on holidays deciding whether he will leave the club or see out the final two years of his contract. Cordner was confident it wouldn't cause a rift in the playing group if the popular Pearce left.

"I don't think so. It's ultimately Pearcey's choice. He's gone away now to get away from everything and to think about it," Cordner said. "I'm here to support Pearcey and respect his decision whichever way he wants to go, but at this stage it looks like he'll be a Rooster." Cronk's signature closed the curtain on the Kangaroos halfback's time with the Storm after he helped them to the 2017 premiership. Despite the Storm being the reigning premiers, Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster was quick to label the Roosters as next year's favourite. Munster said he needed to take his own game to another level in Cronk's absence because they couldn't rely on captain Cameron Smith and fullback Billy Slater to carry the team on their own.

"I need to step up my game and take more of a controlling role in the game and see how I can go with the pressure and see if I can get the Storm to back-to-back [premierships]," he said. "[Cronk's] got another couple of years in him and he's been playing some of his best football he's ever played. "I'm very lucky and very fortunate to play with him, and it's very exciting to play against him at the Roosters, and hopefully give him a bit of heckle. "It's a big loss and all us emerging leaders need to step up and take more ownership ... and [we] can't rely on the big two [Smith and Slater] now to do everything." It's been a big season for Munster, who shifted from fullback to five-eighth, won a premiership, made his State of Origin debut in Queensland's emphatic game-three victory and will now make his Kangaroos debut.

He was one of four debutants Australia coach Mal Meninga named to play France and he'll start on the bench. Munster felt that Origin game was his best game and it gave him the confidence he could cope at international level. But Munster said he still had areas to improve, including his consistency and kicking game. "Probably one of my best games I ever played was the Queensland game. It's good to know that I can play at that level and I just probably need to be more consistent," he said. "I've got a lot of improvement, but in saying that I'm pretty happy with the way I played at six this year. Hopefully I can improve on that in the pre-season and get more strings to my game."