Jarrod Croker earns Canberra Raiders recall after months in NRL wilderness

Croker has played just one NRL game since 2021 but returns to Canberra's starting side against the ladder-leading Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old has spent the opening five rounds in Canberra's NSW Cup side amid external fear he would be left stranded on 292 NRL games.

But Croker returns at the expense of Harley Smith-Shields, who has struggled to find his feet at left centre throughout Canberra's dismal start to the season.

There was a belief Croker had fallen behind Smith-Shields, Matt Timoko, Seb Kris, James Schiller and Semi Valemei in the pecking order.

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But Valemei is set to spend 12 weeks on the sideline after suffering a syndesmosis injury in a NSW Cup game against Penrith, while Nick Cotric is not due to return from a hamstring injury until at least round eight. Kris is deputising at fullback with Xavier Savage still recovering from a broken jaw.

Now Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has opted to inject more experience into his back line, with Canberra staring down the barrel of their worst six-game stretch to start a season since 2011.

Canberra NSW Cup coach Justin Giteau says Croker could so easily have spat the dummy when he started the year in reserve grade, but the veteran has done anything but.

"He's been great. His leadership with the boys is second to none," Giteau said.

"He could have come down and been disappointed he wasn't playing NRL, but he has led the boys as good as I could have asked.

"It's probably part of the reason why we've gone so good to start the year, it's on the back of his leadership and the boys not wanting to let him down. As you know, he's a great clubman."

Croker faces an uncertain future beyond this year. He has a player option in his contract for the 2024 season but it is understood he needs to play a certain number of games this year to trigger the clause in his deal.

His return comes as Stuart turns to his fourth halves pairing in as many weeks as Brad Schneider finds his voice to help call the shots for a side plotting a Brisbane ambush.

Schneider will play in the NRL for the first time since May last year when he joins Jamal Fogarty in Canberra's halves for a clash with the undefeated Broncos.

Croker's return is the feel-good story Canberra needs after his future was left hanging in the balance when he suffered a dislocated shoulder at home in May last year.

Stuart remained adamant the club would not force the former Dally M captain of the year into making a call on his future.

Croker had already fended off medical retirement with revolutionary stem cell surgery on the knee injury that hampered his 2021 campaign, which followed a shoulder reconstruction in 2020.

He has managed just 13 games during the past two seasons but a recall sparks hope he will become the second Raider - behind club legend Jason Croker - to reach 300 matches for the club.

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