How Crichton’s new-found aggression helped revive his career

Angus Crichton has starred for the NSW Blues once again as his side levelled the 2024 State of Origin Series with a statement 38-18 win over the Queensland Maroons at the MCG on Wednesday night.

Crichton went close to earning man of the match honours with an outstanding showing, notching up 174 run metres, 74 post-contact metres, 33 tackles and nine tackle breaks in the winning effort.

The stellar game for Crichton is the latest in a string of strong performances in 2024, as the Roosters star enjoys a career-best year after a disappointing season in 2023.

SEN’s Andrew Voss reflected on the resurgence of Crichton and how his new-found tough style of play has reinvigorated his NRL career.

“The edge backrowers, Liam Martin, superb, Angus Crichton, I could’ve given Angus Crichton man of the match, how good has he been?,” Voss said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“He’s gone from being gone, gone as a player, (they were saying to him), ‘You’re not up to NRL standards’, to bounce back to better than he’s ever been.

“He’s tough, he’s imposing… great game last night.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis revealed that with Crichton’s current deal with the Roosters set to expire at the end of the year, both sides are closing in on an extension.

“I think brutal is the best word there, he played with a sense of brutality that we’ve never seen from Angus,” Carayannis added.

“He’s always been a good hole runner and good defender, but he was man-handling blokes last night, fending them off, he’s playing with this aggression that we haven’t seen from him.

“You rewind 12 months ago, an NRL club could’ve bought Angus for nothing, the Roosters would’ve got rid of him, no one wanted to touch him for obvious reasons.

“Now he’s on the cusp of re-signing with the Roosters for the next two seasons, if that doesn’t happen this week, it’ll happen at the beginning of next week, his agent met with the Roosters over the last couple of days and they’ll get a deal done for the next couple of year.”

Crichton has been named to back up for the Roosters as they host the Wests Tigers on Sunday afternoon.