Fittler heaps praise on 'tougher' Crichton

Andre Cupido
Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler has showered praise on Angus Crichton, claiming the Sydney Roosters backrower is becoming just as tough as NSW and Roosters captain Boyd Cordner and English legend Sam Burgess.
 
Crichton has arguably been one of the Roosters’ most consistent performers in the NRL this season, recording four tries and five line-breaks while averaging 120m and 43 tackles per game. 
 
The 24-year-old earned a State of Origin debut under Fittler in 2018, playing all three games in the series, and was selected for Game One last year before being overlooked for the final two matches. 
 
Fittler lauded the continual improvement of the tri-colours star and argued that he may be in better form now to when he first stepped into the Origin arena two years ago. 
 
“He’s been outstanding,” Fittler told Five with Freddy.
 
“Because I know Craig Fitzgibbon and the establishment there (with him on the Blues coaching staff), I talk to him a lot about Angus to see how he’s going.
 
“He’s such a good fella to have around the team and the thing that keeps coming up is he’s just getting tougher and tougher.
 
“That’s something where at South Sydney, (he had) Sam Burgess who played that role and everyone watched him do it.
 
“Now he’s becoming that player and becoming a bit like Boyd Cordner, where he just knows when to do the tough runs and come up with the bigger hits.”
 
While Crichton was a representative of the Roosters UNE SG Ball Cup side in 2014, he was also earmarked as an upcoming Rugby Union star having attended Scots College and been a core part of their First XV. 
 
Fittler says the fact his development was split across the two codes means his rise to prominence in the NRL is even more impressive having only made first-grade debut with the Rabbitohs in 2016.
 
“Angus is only a kid who grew up not playing as much rugby league as other players bevause he came through Scots College which was a rugby union school,” he said.
 
“So he’s still adapting to the game, and he wouldn’t have played nowhere near as many games as other players.
 
“The fact that he’s getting a lot tougher and learning how to play tough – it is the best way to learn the game better. 
 
“He’s got the perfect coaches in Fitzy and Trent Robinson, so I love watching his game improve.”