Michael Crocker

Roosters’ utility player, a Brisbane junior (Redcliffe) has shown his value as a versatile, rugged interchange player at club, State and Test level. Crocker came off the interchange bench in the Roosters’ grand final win over the Warriors in 2002 before making his State of Origin debut the following year. After the grand final loss to Penrith in 2003, Crocker appeared in all three tests against Great Britain on the Kangaroo Tour – the first two from the interchange bench and then as a fill-in five-eighth in the final Test of the series. After his selection in the ANZac Test in April, injury kept him out of Queensland’s second State of Origin team in 2004. Following another grand final loss with the Roosters (as a second row forward), off-season surgery kept Crocker out of Australia’s Tri Nations competition. Crocker filled in as hooker and five-eighth in 2005 but fell foul of the Judiciary in a troubled season and he joined Melbourne for 2006. Crocker was playing back into something like his rep form when he was again suspended, this time for 11 weeks. Melbourne did not lose a match while Crocker was on the field but after being suspended again (for two weeks) after a high tackle in the late season match with Brisbane, injury ruled him out of Melbourne’s grand final team.