Proud Croker defends Raiders' NRL effort
Aug 23, 2017 - 11:41 PM Canberra no longer have control of their NRL finals destiny, but skipper Jarrod Croker insists he is proud of his side's fighting qualities during a frustrating season.The Raiders need to beat Newcastle at GIO Stadium on Friday night and upset Melbourne in a tough final-round away trip next week, as well as have other results go their way to squeeze into the top eight.
"That period where we lost a couple in a row, a lot of teams would have thrown it in but to the boys' credit they toughed it out. It's round 25 and we're still hanging in by the skin of our teeth," Croker said on Thursday.
Out to end the Raiders' hopes is a Knights side in better from than when they stunned the Raiders 34-20 in round 10.
Before Melbourne overpowered them last week, Newcastle had won three in a row for the first time since the start of 2015.
But they'll travel to Canberra without five-eighth Brock Lamb (knee), Sione Mata'utia (concussion) and Luke Yates (ankle), while the Raiders are unchanged.
Croker admits his side didn't cope with the Knights' youthful exuberance when the two sides last met.
"That energy they bring and a lot of young kids that bring enthusiasm, it can be hard to handle sometimes and we didn't handle it last time we played them up there," Croker said.
Few people predicted Canberra would miss the finals, but after losing eight games by six points or less they have earned the dreaded "mathematical possibility" tag.
Knights coach Nathan Brown has labelled the Raiders as the competition's unluckiest team, but Croker doesn't agree.
"We've been in situations where we've put ourselves in with a chance to win it and didn't do it," he said.
"I wouldn't call that unlucky."
Source: AAP
No one has shouted yet.
Be the first!
Be the first!
Related News
- Raiders sign Havili to ease hooking crisis Dec 7
- Hodgson hopeful of 2018 NRL return Nov 27
- Re-signed Hodgson predicts Raiders success Nov 20
- Canberra re-sign Nick Cotric until 2020 Nov 2
- Croker welcomes Raiders' early NRL start Nov 1
- Canberra Raiders re-sign Elliott Whitehead Oct 19
- Storm won't target Soliola in NRL: Croker Aug 30
- Soliola to decide on NRL clash with Storm Aug 28
- Soliola back to face Storm after ugly hit Aug 28
- Raiders to face brutal NRL season review Aug 25
- Raiders alive in NRL after beating Knights Aug 25
- Raider Cotric 'moral' for NRL rookie gong Aug 24