Why Parramatta Eels hooker Josh Hodgson has Jarrod Croker's Canberra Raiders on high alert

Parramatta hooker Hodgson faces the Raiders for the first time at Canberra Stadium on Sunday as the Eels look to reignite their season without sidelined halfback Mitchell Moses.

Hodgson has struggled to fire in his return from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, splitting the hooking duties with rookie Brendan Hands.

But Raiders captain Jarrod Croker knows Hodgson better than most - they were the chalk and cheese co-captains who led Canberra to the cusp of premiership glory.

Which is why, as Hodgson sends "plenty of lip" down the highway, the Raiders have spent their video sessions picking his game apart.

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"We've said it for a long time, at his best, he is one of the best nines in the game," Croker said.

"He's still got that deception, that craft around the ruck. He brings the big boys onto the ball and when you've got 'Junes' [Junior Paulo] coming onto the ball, it's pretty powerful.

"We've done a lot of video on him this week and we know what sort of player he is, we know how crafty he is around the ruck.

"The big boys are going to have to be on their game around the middle. It's tough, he's quite smart around there.

"All the boys still chat to Hodgo quite regularly, still giving cheek and plenty of lip as he always does. It's going to be weird seeing him in a Parramatta jersey, but at the end of the day he is the opposition on the weekend.

"I'm sure a few of the big boys will be running hard at him and he'll be trying to outsmart them."

Croker warns the absence of Moses "probably makes them more dangerous", because the rest of the side has to lift as Jake Arthur takes the reins in his first NRL game since last year's grand final.

Leading the way is a fullback "in the form of his life at the moment" - Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson.

"With Moses out, he probably goes up another level," Croker said.

"He's that player that just never gives in, he's always there on the ball. He saves that many tries, it probably goes unnoticed.

"He's their captain for a reason, we're going to have to get numbers into him. We're going to have to work hard and do our best to maintain him."

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