Canberra Raiders Captain Jarrod Croker has announced he will retire from the NRL at the end of the 2023 season after 15 seasons and over 300 matches for the club.
He informed his teammates of his decision late last week.
Croker made his debut for the Raiders in 2009 against the Roosters at GIO Stadium Canberra and has achieved several significant club and NRL milestones in a wonderful career.
He holds the records for the Raiders in points scored (2358) and tries scored (135) while also sitting third on the list of all-time NRL point scorers behind Cameron Smith and Hazem El Masri.
Over the course of his career, he has won the clubs player of the year award (Meninga Medal), the Dally M Captain of the year award and the Provan-Summons medal and was Captain alongside Josh Hodgson in the Raiders Grand Final appearance in 2019.
Croker said the decision to retire from the game was something that had been on his mind in recent times and he’s decided that the end of the current season is the right timing for him to finish his career.
“I’ve been weighing the decision up over the past couple of weeks and although my heart and mind wants to keep playing for the club I love, the reality is that my body knows it’s time for me to retire,” Croker said. “I’m comfortable with the decision I’ve made and I now get to spend the remainder of the year working alongside my teammates as we look to push towards the finals.”
Croker 300 Highlights
Croker said he would reflect more on the decision at the end of the season and wanted the focus to remain on the team as they look to finish the season strongly.
“I’ve got lots of people to thank including my wife Brittney, my sons Rory and Tate, my mum and dad and all my family and friends, but I’ll have an opportunity to do that at the end of the season,” he said. “Right now, my focus remains on the team and us looking to win a premiership.”
Raiders Coach Ricky Stuart said the Raiders would always be home for Jarrod Croker and he would finish his career as one of the best to ever represent the club.
“Jarrod Croker will go down as one of the legends of this club. His achievements and his selflessness for the jersey are everything you want in a player and he will retire from the game alongside some of the greats to wear the green jersey,” Stuart said. “Jarrod is a local boy from Goulburn who played his entire career from junior representatives right through to 300 games in the NRL and he is the perfect example of what it is to be a Raider.”
“Jarrod Croker is and will always be a Canberra Raider.”
