Just a week after a humiliating defeat in front of their home fans, the Canberra Raiders rode the emotion of a favourite son’s return to stun the unbeaten Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Travelling to Brisbane without Jack Wighton and Joe Tapine, the Green Machine were tipped to be no match for the 5-0 Broncos, but it was clear from the opening exchanges that they had come with a different resolve.
Almost a year since the last time he took the field in an NRL game, 32-year-old Jarrod Croker was back patrolling the centres and bringing the calming influence his young teammates needed when the Broncos came at them in the second half.