He doesn’t wear a mask and cape but Cooper Cronk fits the bill as Melbourne’s very own NRL super hero.
Like Batman, the enigmatic Cronk prefers to shun the spotlight and let his good deeds speak for themselves.
Fittingly for his 200th NRL game, against North Queensland on Saturday at AAMI Park, the Storm are doing a cross promotion with the release of the new Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and the team will wear specially-designed jerseys.
A cape and head-piece are also offered to fans as part of a ticket packages.
Cronk couldn’t be convinced, even by Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, to talk about the milestone game.
The Queensland and Australian halfback is as difficult to read off the field and, in the lead-up to his re-signing earlier this year, his Storm teammates admitted they didn’t really know the man in the No.7 jersey.
He recently wrote on his own website of his dedication to his sport as a teenager, kicking goals into the night, unable to go home until he booted 10 straight.
He also wrote of his shame of being a bully for a time at school and includes a Rudyard Kipling poem, adding to the mystique about the 28-year-old.
But his value to the Storm is undeniable – and to Queensland after steering the Maroons to State of Origin glory with a 40m field goal to break their game-three deadlock.
Post-match, Cronk dismissed talk of a super-hero effort, quick to spread praise for the win among his teammates.
Coach Bellamy said Cronk’s reluctance to talk about himself leading up to his 200th game was typical.
“The club wants to make a bit of a fuss about it but Cooper doesn’t want any fuss about it so we’ll stick to his wishes,” Bellamy said.
“There’ll be a couple of things said obviously, but that typifies him really. He doesn’t like fuss – he just likes to get on with things.”
Cronk’s elevation to his status as one of the game’s best halfbacks wasn’t a foregone conclusion, with Bellamy remembering him as a fullback when he first came to the Storm.
“I didn’t know what his best position was going to be,” Bellamy said.
“We knew he was going to be an NRL player but didn’t know where at, and then Matt Orford left, so we gave him the opportunity and he’s earned all the success since then.
“He’s a wonderful student of the game, a wonderful hard worker and, when you put those two together, then you end up with Cooper Cronk.”