There were fears the detached retina he suffered during a pre-season trial at Cessnock would force him into retirement.
But after a lengthy recovery period, Cronin returned to an Eels side making the most of the new Parramatta Stadium. In that year, the Eels enjoyed the highest average crowd of any NSWRL side.
Match Highlights: Eels v Bulldogs
Once he returned, his goal-kicking was not what it once was. He entered the grand final with a 46 per cent success rate.
His first shot at goal in the decider sliced to the right. His second hit the post from right in front and the match remained scoreless.
1985 grand final rewind: Dogs defy Dragons to win third in six years
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In the latest in a series of fresh looks back at the grand finals of yesteryear, NRL.com revisits the 1985 grand final between Canterbury and St George.
NRL.com has gone into the vault to find footage of the grand finals from the pre-NRL era dating back to 1966 and will be showcasing these games, including a full replay, a mini version of each game, match highlights and great moments from these encounters.
St George, who had finished the regular season as minor premiers and entered the decider as strong favourites, started well.