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As hard as it was for me personally at the time, the Sydney Roosters' decision to bring Cooper Cronk to the club at the end of 2017 has paid massive dividends. The guy is a winner and an absolute champion. The fact that he will be playing in his ninth grandfinal in 16 seasons on Sunday against the Canberra Raiders blows your mind. It is an unbelievable statistic. Yes, Cooper has obviously been a part of some great sides during his 16-year NRL career. But what he brings to the table has certainly been a major contributor to the success of those teams. He's just got this magic gift. Above anything else, he is the ultimate professional. The only reason people don't talk about him in the same breath as Joey [Andrew Johns] is because he probably doesn't possess the pure, natural ability that the likes of the Knights legend had. But he's got something in his brain and mind that sets him apart from most. There is a real poise about the way he goes about his business which allows him to deflect pressure the way he does. That self-assuredness along with being the competitor he is certainly rubs off on the players around him and he obviously knows how to get his teams up for the occasion when it matters. Like I said, he is a winner and for an old guy, let's be honest, he is nearly 36 and he's getting slower but he is still coming up with the right stuff just about every time. His footy nous, I believe, is second to none and to me, there is no doubt he has tightened up the Roosters culture. READ MORE: Newcastle Knights Mind you, his influence with the Roosters wasn't immediate. Last year when he and Teddy [James Tedesco] first got there, the team was a bit all over the shop and not consistent for a big part of the season. But they gradually got there before peaking when it mattered at the pointy end. This year, they have looked a lot more steely consistently. But it's not just Cooper's influence. Take Teddy and Luke Keary out of the side and I don't think they make the grandfinal. I'm tipping one of those two to win the Clive Churchill Medal on Sunday. Full credit to the Roosters, they have a great side. They just have class players and game-breakers right across the park and it's why I think they will repel the Raiders and win back-to-back titles for the first time in well over two decades. I can't go past the Roosters for a lot of reasons but number one is their defence. They seem to be totally in the zone at the moment just with the way they are defending and how physical they are. I remember back in 2013 when I was there and we won the comp, there was a similar feeling within the playing group that we couldn't be broken defensively. There was just so much trust and belief there among the boys and hearing Keary after the win over Melbourne last weekend say pretty much the same thing, it's no surprise why they are such strong favourites. I've been there and know what that feeling is like and it's very hard to beat. But in saying that, Canberra have a style of play that could possibly pull their pants down if the Roosters get ahead of themselves on the day. There is the obvious influence of the Raiders hooker Josh Hodgson, who is just so clever around the ruck. There is the power of Josh Papalii, the running game of Jack Wighton and the rest of the Pommy boys, who are just raw-boned and unorthodox. Canberra is not an easy side to beat and it's no surprise to me they have reached the big one. They have beaten the Storm twice in Melbourne this season which speaks loudly about their self belief and desire. They will need all of that on Sunday but an upset is not beyond them. Hopefully, it will be a great game decided by the players. While you're with us, did you know the Newcastle Herald offers breaking news alerts, daily email newsletters and more? Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here. IN THE NEWS:

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