Maroons star calls for schedule revamp
Queensland star Cooper Cronk agrees scheduling for next year's State of Origin series must be looked at, as NSW coach Ricky Stuart calls for Blues players to stand down the week prior to the Origin decider.
Cronk backed Stuart's suggestion - which mainly involves St George Illawarra and Manly players who must play the day after the Blues Origin side will be named - as "clever".
The Melbourne halfback said the issue of scheduling needed to be looked at for next season's Origin series as players continued to back up from gruelling representative matches, as well as miss club games the weekend before.
Stuart wants his players to shun club matches for the two weekends before the July 6 decider.
He cited the match's importance, and wanting to ensure fresh players and a decent pre-match training camp.
"You won't hear a Melbourne Storm player or any other player whinge about having to back up and things like that, but the best thing for the welfare of the players is not to have to do it," Cronk said.
"Everyone's allegiance is to their club, but Origin is the pinnacle of our game.
"It's quite clever (Stuart's call). You want your best players fit and firing and at the peak of their potential to play Origin football.
"It's obviously a very big sticking point in the game at the moment ... something needs to be worked out."
Cronk and fellow Storm stars Billy Slater and Dane Nielsen returned home to Melbourne on Thursday after the Maroons' loss to NSW in Sydney on Wednesday night.
They must then back up for the Storm's NRL clash with Wests Tigers in Sydney on Sunday.
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