Raiders captain Jarrod Croker will front up against former teammate Brenko Lee in the centres this Saturday, when the Raiders travel to ANZ Stadium to play the Bulldogs.
Lee ironically made his debut for the Raiders against Canterbury in 2014, however has since been with the Bulldogs from the start of the 2017 season.
Croker insists he is looking forward to the match up and believes that he will have a difficult task on his hands come Saturday evening.
“Brenko’s been in really good form and he moved away to seek opportunity, he has an opportunity there and I think he has taken it with both hands… he has been one of their standout players so I’ll definitely have my hands full tomorrow,” Croker said.
The Raiders previous away trip to face the Bulldogs was in round five last season when they grinded out a 22-8 point win on a Monday in Belmore.
That game itself was a memorable one for Croker as he scored 18 out of the Raiders 22 points.
However, whilst Croker believes they are looking to play the same type of game as last year, he is also wary of the grinding game it will be on Saturday.
“Every game against the Bulldogs is like that game you mentioned, it’s grinding, it’s tough, it’s a bit of a scrap fight, but that is what the Bulldogs are about and we are going to have to be prepared for that tomorrow.”
Croker has been in fantastic form this season, however his push for a selection in the Kangaroo’s side saw him fall short.
When asked whether he was interested in playing for Country in this year’s City v Country clash, Croker insists that nothing is sure until the team has been named.
“We will have to wait and see what the team is I guess, see if anyone gets picked and then move forward from there.”
Croker’s main focus however at this stage is directed towards a strong physical clash with the Bulldogs on Saturday.
“We will have to see how guys pull up from the weekend because like I said it’s going to be a scrappy game tomorrow night and the Bulldogs are physical, so there will be some sore bodies on Sunday.”
Article written by Ricky Kelly.
