Cooper Cronk has become the latest star to voice concerns over the NRL's jam-packed schedule, the playmaker backing Melbourne's decision to send a youthful squad to the Auckland Nines given the Storm's `other priorities'.
With the Storm's Four Nations big guns not considered for selection, Will Chambers, Travis Robinson and Dayne Weston will be the most experienced members in a squad with an average age of 22.
Australian halfback Cronk admits he's a fan of the Nines, but said the Storm wouldn't allow the tournament to take anything away from the club's premiership campaign.
"With all due respect to the concept and the game itself, the Melbourne Storm are very focused on having a successful NRL season," said Cronk ahead of the two-day tournament which starts on Saturday.
"It's a great concept, I watch it ... but if you're going to be serious about winning a premiership in 2015 then you'd think there are other things that are a priority in terms of getting your body right, fitness, strategy and tactics."
Cronk, 31, is entering his 12th NRL season and is working at regaining fitness and size after returning from an extended break in early January.
While he's happy with his progress, the veteran said the seemingly ever-increasing physical demands of the packed NRL season were an issue that needed to be addressed.
In doing so, Cronk joins other representative stars, including Storm captain Cameron Smith and North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston in expressing concern over player burnout.
"The NRL calendar is chock-a-block in terms of games, then you add the rep games as well and it's a fair schedule," he said.
"I'm very fortunate and grateful to play the game I love ... but if we are serious about looking at how to make the game better viewing for the audience then I think things have to change in that regard because you will not get guys playing at ages 18, 19 or 20 playing for 10 to 15 years.
"We want to see guys like Darren Lockyer break records - we want to see that that's possible - at the moment with the way it's shifting, things definitely have to change."
In other news, Cronk said Storm skipper Smith is making solid progress after undergoing ankle surgery in December.
"Cameron's tracking as he would hope - he's still in the gym doing a little bit of work," he said.
"He's going to be given every opportunity to see that he's fit for round one or two or whenever he's due back, but there are guys there who will step in if not."
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