He may have just won a World Cup alongside him but Boyd Cordner's dividends may have just gotten bigger after Cooper Cronk's decision to quit representative football.
Cronk dropped a bombshell after Australia's World Cup triumph over England when he announced he would be retiring from the state and international arena.
The move is significant for his new NRL side the Sydney Roosters, who will reap the benefits of having the veteran halfback focused on club football for the entire 2018 season.
Cordner, who is the Roosters co-captain, said it would be music to the ears of coach Trent Robinson and the rest of the coaching staff.
"It's only going to be good news for the Roosters," Cordner told AAP.
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"I'm sure the coaching staff will be happy about that.
"But even if he did want to play on, it wouldn't have been an issue.
"But that's his decision and we respect that as a playing group."
Perhaps just as significant is the hole Cronk leaves in Queensland's State of Origin side, of which he has been a staple at halfback for the past five years.
It comes off the back of veteran playmaker Johnathan Thurston also hanging up the representative boots this year, leaving the Maroons short of experienced halves next year.
Cordner, who is the NSW captain, said Cronk would be a loss for Queensland but was wary of an emerging crop of Maroons halves headed by Kangaroos stars Michael Morgan, Cameron Munster and Ben Hunt.
Munster played alongside Cronk in this year's Origin decider, while Anthony Milford also made his debut in the series-opener.
Asked if Cronk's departure would help NSW next year, Cordner said: "Look, it does. He's a world-class player.
"But as a NSW group, we know how good Queensland is.
"We know whoever puts on their jersey puts 100 per cent. Although it doesn't really bother us either way.
"Obviously he's a great player, but they're going to have another good fill-in to take his spot."
Cordner himself capped off a strong World Cup campaign with a man-of-the-match performance in the decider against England.
His 15th-minute try was the only difference on the scoreboard between the two nations.
"It's obviously easy playing outside some world-class players. I just have to do my job and they make me look good," the Kangaroos vice-captain said.
"A lot of the credit has to go to them. I just fell over the line and got lucky with that one. It's a good feeling.
"To win a World Cup and get a try, it's good."
