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New detail emerges after Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk bury the hatchet in rare appearance

The Melbourne Storm champions appeared to have settled their differences at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read

Interesting new details have come to light after Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk appeared to bury the hatchet at the NRL Hall of Fame ceremony on Wednesday night. If there was any lingering animosity between the Melbourne Storm greats and their respective wives, it certainly wasn't on display at the SCG gala.

Smith and Cronk were among a number of new inductees into the Hall of Fame, along with other modern day greats Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess and Benji Marshall. But what was particularly eye-catching about Smith and Cronk's appearance together - along with their wives Barb and Tara - was it was extremely rare to see the Melbourne Storm legends in the same room together.

Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith with their wives.
Melbourne Storm legends Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith with their wives at the NRL Hall of Fame ceremony. Image: Getty

Smith and Cronk used to be great mates, and led the Storm during the height of their success in the 2000s and 2010s. But they had an infamous falling out, and Smith refused to attend Cronk's wedding in Sydney. The feud was reportedly sparked by Cronk's decision to leave the Storm for the Sydney Roosters, where he won another two premierships.

Smith was reportedly unhappy that Cronk decided to join the Storm's arch-rivals, which Cronk said he did to be closer to Tara - who worked in Sydney. And when Cronk and Tara tied the knot in a small ceremony in Sydney, Smith and wife Barb were noticeably absent.

Smith is said to have sent Cronk a very abrupt text message to inform him he wouldn't be attending, and it didn't go down well with Cronk and Tara. The pair then had a fiery exchange in the 2018 grand final when the Roosters beat the Storm, with Cronk putting his hands around Smith's throat after a late tackle.

Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.
Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater pose with their Hall of Fame rings and blazers. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

But it appears as though time really does heel old wounds, with Smith and Cronk apparently burying the hatchet in the years that have passed. There were nice scenes on Wednesday night when Cronk and Smith embraced on stage after being inducted into the Hall of Fame together, and Cronk also paid his condolences to Smith over the recent death of his mother.

During their speeches, both Smith and Cronk made mention of the fact they couldn't have had the success they did without each other, as well as the likes of Slater and Inglis. It made for a welcome sight after two of the game's great players weren't getting along for years.

However the Daily Telegraph has revealed that Smith and Cronk weren't seated on the same table together, in what might have been a deliberate attempt to keep them apart. Slater and Cronk were on one table with their wives, but Smith and Barb were on another table with Marshall. Their on-stage moment was reportedly the only time they spent together on the night.

Smith was thought to be a chance to become the 14th Immortal when it was announced on Wednesday night, but the honour went to Ron Coote instead. The Roosters and Souths legend had long been considered a leading contender to become an Immortal, but had been overlooked on each previous occasion.

Ron Coote.
Ron Coote poses as the 14th Immortal during the NRL Hall of Fame ceremony. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

The 80-year-old, who won four premierships with Souths and another two with the Roosters, admitted he'd given up hope of receiving the game's highest honour. "I'm a bit taken for words," he said on stage. "I never thought I would be crying when I was (almost) 80, but I am.

"It's still got to sink in. I am not really fully sure how it all goes. Every time they have announced Immortals, I have been passed. I thought this was not going to happen. This time it has come through. I wait for things to happen before I sit down and enjoy it. I've enjoyed it, and it's been good."

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For the first time ever, the NRL also inducted some female members into the Hall of Fame. Natalie Dwyer, Katrina Fanning, Tarsha Gale, Veronica White, Karyn Murphy and Tahnee Norris all became the first women's inductees, while Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson were added as coaches.

Check out some of the best looks from the black carpet of the NRL Hall of Fame and Immortals induction ceremony below:

Johnathan Thurston, Steve Renouf and Wally Lewis at the NRL Hall of Fame.
Johnathan Thurston, Steve Renouf and Wally Lewis with their partners. Image: Getty
Benny Elias, Brett Kenny and Tara Rushton at the NRL Hall of Fame.
Benny Elias, Brett Kenny and Tara Rushton. Image: Getty
Bob McCarthy, Les Boyd and Bill Harrigan at the NRL Hall of Fame.
Bob McCarthy, Les Boyd and Bill Harrigan with their partners. Image: Getty
Veronica White, Katrina Fanning, Karyn Murphy, Natalie Dwyer, Tahnne Norris and Tarsha Gale at the NRL Hall of Fame.
Veronica White, Katrina Fanning, Karyn Murphy, Natalie Dwyer, Tahnne Norris and Tarsha Gale. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis at the NRL Hall of Fame.
Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

with AAP