The kids are killing it in the NRL this year. It would be easier to stop Payne Haas on a surge towards the try-line than stop him from winning Rookie of the Year. He was joined in Origin by another babyface, David Fifita.
Bronson Xerri is still 18 but already a jet. You can’t have missed the spectacular efforts by flying teenage backs Jason Saab and Dylan Brown, and the Storm’s Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has only needed one outing to become hot property.
But the glow of these shiny new stars should not distract us from appreciating a vintage crop of veterans. The 10 oldest players in the league will not be around forever (with the obvious exception of Cameron Smith, likely to still be playing when Halley’s Comet next puts in an appearance) and we should enjoy this bunch of quirky individuals while we can.
Cooper Cronk
Possessor of the most famous scapula in rugby league history, Cronk will hang them up at the end of the year. His Roosters stint has included not just a famous Grand Final victory, and not just the emergence of Luke Keary as a complete playmaker, but also the emergence of two brilliant young halves who will don the salary sombrero and compete for headline status in 2020 – Lachlan Lam and Kyle Flanagan. What will Coops do next? Coach? Commentate? Mentor? Undertake a NASA mission while finishing an MBA? There are more doors open for this bloke than tatts on Josh Dugan’s torso.
“This year the Cronulla captain became the player with the most losses in history”
Priceless, where is Ronnie when you need him ?