Aussies pay tribute to young NRL player, 27, following tragic death

The sporting world is mourning the tragic loss of young NRL star Mitch Cronin who was found dead in his backyard on Friday afternoon after a “training session”.

The 27-year-old, who was the captain of Queensland team the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, was found face down in his parents pool after doing a weights session, multiple reports claim. An autopsy will be completed, with Cronin reportedly suffering a suspected heart attack, Yahoo Sports Australia reports.

Tributes have continued to pour in for the young star since news of his death broke, with his club leading the way with messages of condolences.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls’ chief executive Hanan Laban described Cronin as an “exceptional young man” and said they are all devastated by the tragic loss of their captain. He said the young sportsman, who joined the team in 2015 after playing for Souths-Logan in Queensland, was a “fantastic leader” who was “fearless on the field”.

“From the moment he arrived at Wynnum he embodied the values of the Seagulls through his positive attitude, strong work ethic and deep care for his teammates and his club,” Laban said in a statement released on Saturday.

“He was a fantastic leader who was genuine, caring and selfless with his actions. Mitch was quiet achiever with a humble nature, who did not need to say too much to be held with enormous respect by his peers. He was fearless on the field, yet kind and modest off it – Mitch is forever in our hearts.”

Meanwhile, former teammate Jordan Rapana paid an emotional tribute to the star sportsman, who he  played with in the ACT for the Canberra Raiders, on Fox League Live. The 30-year-old described Mitch as a “positive guy” and someone who was “everybody’s best mate”.

“I was hesitant to do this interview as it’s so raw, it only just happened yesterday, but I just wanted Australia and the world to really know how good of a bloke Mitch is,” he said on the program on Saturday. “He’s one of those guys where he’s everybody’s best mate. He just has a positive aura about him, you just want to be around him.

“He wasn’t a loud guy, he didn’t talk much. He was quite shy and very reserved who didn’t like the limelight. But his actions spoke louder than words.”

Jordan added: “He wasn’t an emotional guy, he’s probably looking at me, you know, giving me s**t if I’m going to sit here and cry.”

Jordan also took to social media to send his condolences, sharing another emotional message along with a series of photographs of Mitch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_FIKiuA39z/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Man I still don’t believe it!” he wrote on the post. “You got me through some of the toughest times of my life! I love you my brother. Fly high u [sic] absolute legend, love u [sic] forever brother.”

Rugby League commentator Peter Psaltis also shared a message of condolence writing on Twitter: “Rest in Peace Mitch Cronin. Such a terrible accident. What a tragedy. Thoughts with his family, teammates and many friends. Gone far too young. Life is very precious.”