Canberra Raiders champion Jarrod Croker will retire at the end of the NRL season, completing his 300-plus game career.
The 32-year-old told his teammates on Thursday he wouldn’t seek to play on in 2024, having failed to meet the criteria in his contract to trigger a one-year extension.
Croker has been a first-team regular after being recalled by the Raiders in round six, but injured a hamstring in recent weeks and is still trying to prove his fitness and break back into the side.
The centre said his body knew it was the right time to pull the pin on his illustrious 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.”
“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.”
Croker brought up his 300th game earlier this season, becoming just the second player in club history to that mark behind Jason Croker.
He struggled with knee and shoulder injuries in recent years and at times looked unlikely to win his spot back in first grade and reach the 300-game milestone.
Ricky Stuart said Croker 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.”
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy – a 150-game Raiders player himself – paid tribute to Croker’s service following his side’s win over Canberra, calling him “a terrific guy” who’d given tremendous service to Canberra “and the game in general”.
“He’s plays the game in a really good spirit,” Bellamy said. “He was a wonderful centre, he was smooth on the ground and he could score tries from anywhere.
“But one of the things the Raiders might miss with him is how dependable he was with his goal kicking, and he’s done that for years.”
Croker will end his career third on the NRL’s all-time points scoring list, behind Melbourne great Cameron Smith and former Canterbury star Hazem El Masri.
