Raiders coach Ricky Stuart admits that when watching club favourite Jarrod Croker battle debilitating injuries for two seasons became too much, he asked the champion centre to consider retirement.
After playing 12 games in 2021, the 32-year-old managed just one NRL appearance in 2022 and looked destined to finish his career agonisingly close to the 300-game mark.
Knee and shoulder injuries had theatened to end his career on 292 games but Croker fought his way back into Stuart's line-up in Round 6 and has been a key figure in the Green Machine's four-game winning streak.
"Jarrod's body has copped a hammering over the last two years, I don’t mind saying, I’ve asked 'Toots' to retire because his body was just not coping with the loads and he was in a position where I was feeling the pain that he was under," Stuart told the media following Canberra's win on Friday.
"We were doing all the tough work at training and he couldn’t do it. And to his credit, he said I’m just happy to help the club and help the younger blokes if I’m playing second grade.
A try for a fan favourite
"I didn’t want that, which is why I asked him to look at retirement. I didn’t want to be the bloke picking him in second grade because I didn’t want to disrespect Jarrod Croker’s profile for what he’s done for this club.
"But I had to, to try and get him back to where he was today."
Young guns Seb Kris and Matt Timoko locked down the centre positions with Croker sidelined in 2022, but a backline reshuffle this year called for the veteran's "calming influence" on a side struggling to find form early in the season.
"His persistence, his grind, to get his body fit enough to play NRL which is a massive difference to NSW Cup, it’s all credit to him," Stuart said.
"He’s doing a really good job. He’s calming down that left edge. He’s got a very calming influence.
"He’s a great bloke, a great captain and I’m so happy he’s back healthy and he’s creating a point of difference in our game. He’s doing a really good job.
I’ve said this in the media a number of times before. If your children could have the integrity of Jarrod Croker, you’ve got wonderful kids.
Ricky Stuart Raiders coach
Now just four games short of joining Jason Croker as the only men to play 300 games for the Raiders, Croker admits Stuart's advice to retire "might have been right at the time" but his decision to take a punt on stem-cell knee surgery has paid off.
"I can remember it … to be fair Ricky was not the only one. There’s probably a few out there that said it and will probably still tell me tomorrow," Croker said following Friday night's win.
From the field: Croker
"I took it all on the chin as I do and I just had to go back and think about what I really wanted to do and at that stage, I was 30, so still felt like I had a lot to give.
"I just remember saying just let me try the stem cells to get my knee right and see if it works and I told a few people about it openly and other players if it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be able to keep playing.
"I reckon the knee went from 50 to 85 per cent. It obviously worked, otherwise I couldn't have kept going. I’m not as quick as I used to be and not as sharp but it’s nice to be back playing because I was sick of walking down the street and having people asking me if I am still going or still playing.
"Ricky might have been right at the time and I might be stubborn but I just wanted to get the knees right and prove I could still go."
Playing with kids 15 years his junior in NSW Cup came as a big adjustment but Croker said the opportunity to don the lime green jersey again at the top level was all the motivation he needed.
"I don't enjoy playing reserve grade... no one likes playing reserve grade, you get there and there’s kids there that are 17 years old, kids that are born in 2004 and they make you feel old," he said.
"But there’s better blokes in front of me and behind me that will play reserve grade and I was never going to sulk about that.
"I'm trying to teach young kids what the jersey means to me and it doesn't matter if I am playing reserve grade or first grade, the jersey means the same thing.
"It was never about standing up and saying 'I'm tough', I just love playing footy and I just wasn’t ready (to retire).
"While some people might have seen the selfish side to that, hanging around to play reserve grade… I just see it as playing footy with my mates and enjoying my job and wanting to do the best I can for the jersey, whichever grade I play in."
Now just four games away from triple figures, Croker is keeping a lid on the hype and ensuring he stays focused on the task at hand.
He knows better than anyone that fate can intervene at any time and stop you in your tracks if you get ahead of yourself.
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"With all the stuff that's going on and injuries, it's literally one week at a time," he said.
"You can't take your foot off the pedal. We have Nick Cotric coming back, Albert Hopoate and Harley Smith-Shields sniffing, they are right behind me, so I can't take my foot off at all.
"I'm just happy to be playing, to get the chance to play with Papa (Josh Papali'i) and Jack (Wighton), the boys I have spent the majority of my life with, spent half my life playing footy with.
"It's special to be able to get the chance to play footy with them again."
