We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
This wasn't how it was meant to end - the massive week to celebrate Jarrod Croker's 300th NRL game.
The emotion was clear to see, with Croker reduced to tears as he ran out in front of 21,082 at Canberra Stadium.
Perhaps that emotion got the better of the Canberra Raiders as a resolute New Zealand Warriors ran over the top of them in the second half to spoil the party.
Jarrod Croker's 300th game has been spoiled as his Canberra Raiders suffered a 36-14 loss in a masterful performance by the New Zealand Warriors.
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But while the Warriors showed respect to Croker before the match, the side just bided its time before ruining the party.
Spare a thought for Pauline Croker.
The mother of Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker is too nervous to sit still at the best of times, so how do you think she felt when 21,082 people - the biggest crowd at Canberra Stadium since the 2019 preliminary final - had their eyes pinned on her son?
Croker's 300th game felt like everything it should have. The hype, excitement, the emotion. "It feels like a grand final," one punter told another as they took their seats in the Mal Meninga Grandstand.