We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
Jarrod Croker is adamant "we can beat any team" as he dreams of a fairytale farewell with a Canberra Raiders side picking up the pieces of a nightmare in Melbourne.
Time is running out for a pair of Raiders greats to win a premiership in Canberra with Croker set to retire and Jack Wighton to join South Sydney.
But the club's first premiership since 1994 seems a world away after the Raiders were thrashed 48-2 in Melbourne over the weekend, when a win would have sent Canberra into the top four.
Champion centre Jarrod Croker is ready for one last run in Canberra's NRL side, declaring he's fit to return to action just days after announcing he'll retire at the end of the season.
Croker told teammates late last week 2023 would be his last season and confirmed the news in a press conference on Monday, but has vowed to win his first-grade position back and help the Raiders fight for finals success.
Relief met the 32-year-old when he finally made the call to hang up the boots, admitting his body and mind didn't have another gruelling pre-season in them.
It's a game just getting quicker, training is hard, pre-season is...
NRL ladder and 2023 finals predictor: Horror news for Canberra and Parramatta
With just three rounds remaining in the NRL regular season, there are still 12 teams who can 'mathematically' make the finals. We've looked into the crystal ball to predict who will make it and who will miss out, and it looks like bad news for the Raiders and Eels.
It's hard to see the Panthers losing another game, with, Titans (away), Eels (home) and Cowboys (H) on the schedule. Even if they finish on the same points as the Broncos (they're currently both on 38), the Panthers will have a far superior for-and-against.