Jarrod Croker is ready for Saturday’s game against the Broncos and is confident the cold weather will have an effect on the Brisbane boys.
Following State of Origin two Broncos fullback Darius Boyd was ruled out of this weekend’s game with a broken thumb. Jarrod believes this is a big blow to the Brisbane side but says they have an adequate replacement in Jordan Kahu.
State of Origin two only featured the one Canberra Raider with Josh Papalii coming off the bench for Queensland. It was a brutal game in which just about every player who played pulled up battered and bruised afterwards. Croker however believes Josh Papalii will be fine to back up for the Raiders this Saturday against the Broncos.
The Broncos will be missing Darius Boyd as well as Anthony Milford who is currently spending 6-8 weeks on the sideline injured. Jarrod Croker commented “The depth of the Broncos is a great asset and Hunt, Nikorima and Marshall are all quality players who can do the job”. He went on to add that even David Mead coming into the centres is a good swap as Mead has played plenty of first grade matches.
Ricky Stuart this past week extended his contract with the Canberra Raiders until the end of 2019. Croker says he’s happy to see Stuart re-sign and says it’s very reassuring to have a coach on board that really cares about the players and has a love for the club. “Ricky is Canberra bred, he loves the community and everyone in the community and at the club loves Ricky”.
Shannon Boyd returns this weekend and Jarrod Croker said the big man is fired up and ready to go. Boyd will help gives the Raiders a much needed edge in what will be a very busy forward pack battle. Jarrod Croker commented saying the Raiders were not dwelling on their round 4 loss but reassured that they are learning from every game they play.
The Raiders have lost a few close games this season with a game against the Cowboys earlier in the season even going to golden point. The Raiders according to Croker have been simulating close game scenarios in training to help them get across the line in the event of a close game or a golden point deciding match.
Whatever happens Jarrod Croker certainly know his side is capable of victory but the Broncos will be hungry for a win. The game will be a close contested match and either side is likely of coming away victorious.
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