Crichton ripe for NSW recall under old coach Maguire
Sydney Roosters second-rower Angus Crichton is back to the form that made him a NSW regular in State of Origin and in line for a Blues recall under new coach Michael Maguire.
Crichton is in what his Roosters coach Trent Robinson agreed was a “purple patch” after he scored two tries and destroyed the Brisbane defence with his blockbusting charges in the 40-18 win over the Broncos on Friday night.
Crichton, off-contract at the end of this season and still to decide whether he wants to make a code switch to rugby union, has a good rapport with Maguire from his South Sydney days.
Crichton says he has a lot of good memories of NSW coach Michael Maguire. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
He said playing for the Blues, who he has represented 11 times, was “definitely something I’d like to do” after last playing for them in 2022.
“Madge gave me my debut back at Souths in 2015 and was my first ever coach in the NRL, so a lot of good history there and good memories,” Crichton said.
“I love testing myself and I love playing in the biggest games.
“I didn’t go to the (NSW pre-season) camp, but I had a meeting with him and had a chat with him.
“Madge is really good, personable guy and straight up and tells you how it is.
“I’ve got a great relationship with him.”
Roosters and NSW captain James Tedesco endorsed Crichton for a Blues recall.
“Definitely, with the way he has been playing,” Tedesco said.
“He has been one of our best for a couple of weeks now so he has definitely found some consistency. He is just so hard to tackle.”
Roosters and Blues legend Boyd Cordner is now on the Tricolours’ coaching staff and has been an inspiration and guide for Crichton.
“He’s had a massive influence on me as someone I’ve always turned to in good and bad times,” he said.
“I took over his position when he finished and that’s why I love playing in the 11 so much, because that was Boyd Cordner’s 11.
“To pull on the 11 every week now and play in the position that he played with so much heart and so much courage for so long is something I don’t take lightly, it’s something I take a lot of pride in.
“I was in Origin camp when he retired in 2020, and I sort of took on that left edge role for NSW.”
Crichton, who won the 2019 NRL title with the Roosters, said he was yet to make up his mind whether he wanted to make a move to rugby union or stay in the NRL
“I’m not in a hurry. I’m just weighing up the options … and to be honest, I haven’t got any concrete options on the table yet,” the former Australian Schoolboys union representative said.
“I’m letting my footy do the talking at the minute and, hopefully, the longer I keep playing the more options I’ll have on the table, and then we can start making some decisions.
“My focus is solely on winning games for the Roosters and putting my best foot forward here.
“I want to win a comp here.
“I want to send guys like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary out on highs.
“I was here in 2019 and we had a bit of a drop-off since then, and I think we deserve to send them both out on a high.”