Cooper Cronk has promised to do all he can to ensure Melbourne's continued NRL success including sharing his secrets with the club's replacement halfback.
"The Test No.7 announced on Tuesday he wouldn't take up the final-year option of his Storm contract and will instead move to Sydney at the end of this season to be with his fiancee.
It's the beginning of the end for a unique 15-season association between Cronk, fellow "Big Three" players Cameron Smith and Billy Slater and their coach Craig Bellamy that has yielded great success, including winning three grand finals.
Cronk, 33, modestly insisted that captain Smith, fullback Slater and Bellamy were the "real Big Three" and success was assured while they remained.
Cronk said he would also happily share his knowledge from 306 NRL games with the new halfback.
If they don't look outside the club that could be highly-rated teenager Brodie Croft, or Ryley Jacks, who has taken over the five-eighth jersey this season.
"Whoever comes in I promise I will give him the keys to the city and tell him everything I know because I want this club to be successful whether I'm here or not," said Cronk.
The exit of the two-time Dally M Medal winner may end up being a blessing in disguise, with the club otherwise facing the possibility of losing all three as well as Bellamy at the same time.
Smith's and Bellamy's current deals end in 2018 while Slater, who has hardly played in the last two seasons following shoulder surgery, is off contract this season but it believed to be keen to play on.
Cronk said the timing of his announcement would help the Storm prepare for life without the big guns and he believed they were well equipped to thrive.
"Including Craig in there the four of us would like to all finish at the same time and ride off into the sunset but unfortunately that's not the case," Cronk said.
"While the coach, the CEO, and football manager and people like Cam and Will Chambers and Jesse Bromwich, success is going is staying at the Melbourne Storm for a few years yet."
Cronk said Smith and Slater were still at the top of their game, with other Storm players feeding off that.
"While Cameron and Billy are here playing the club's in great hands because they're the best at what they do and they just give so much time to other players," Cronk said.
Bellamy said they hadn't yet decided whether they would look outside the club for a halfback.
"We haven't sat down as a group to decide on what route we're going to go there but he's going to be very, very hard person to replace, it doesn't matter who is or ain't here," Bellamy said.
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