Monday Milestone: Croker Choker

In the spirit of the finals, during September the Monday Milestone will examine some of the great moments in NRL finals history.

This Week in History:
2010, NRL Finals Week 2
Jarrod Croker misses a regulation penalty goal, preventing a shot at extra time to keep the Canberra Raiders season alive.

 

Thirty metres out. Ten metres in from touch. Three minutes remaining. To level the scores.  Jarrod Croker eyeing off the posts at Canberra Stadium. A routine penalty goal to send the semi final into extra time, and keep the Canberra season alive.

A record capacity home crowd hold their collective breath as Croker moves in.  He’s struck it well. But it’s drifting. It’s drifting! Too much!

It’s wide! No goal!

The Wests Tigers still lead the Canberra Raiders 26-24….

Watching this was heartbreaking, even for non-Raiders fans. Images of Jarrod Croker as his attempted penalty goal floated past the posts are distressing pictures of anguish. The twenty year old, was shattered, down on his haunches with his hands clutching his head gear in despair and disbelief. And swearing loud enough to be heard as far away as Leichhardt Oval wasn’t going to reverse the result as the realisation washed over Canberra Stadium that night. The courageous Raiders campaign, built upon a streak of nine victories from their previous ten matches was over.

They’d been up against it all evening, following Benji Marshall brillance in the opening part of the match, as the visitors jumped out to a three tries to one lead, with the Raiders scrapping just enough to claw back the score to trail 18-12 as they hit the sheds.

But in early in the second half when Marshall orchestrated another Wests Tigers try, sending Chris Lawrence over before adding the extras, the game was almost beyond reach. Almost.

That was the thing about the 2010 Canberra Raiders. Just when they looked gone, they weren’t.  Even when the architect of their late season revival, Terry Campese, was struck down with injury there was still hope in parallel as Trevor Thurling crashed over.

Whilst the astute decision for Marshall to add a Wests Tigers penalty goal with twelve minutes left meant an eight point lead, and the Raiders needing to score twice, still all was not lost. The local side instead produced a grandstand finish as first skipper Alan Tongue scored, and then with three minutes remaining, Jarrod Croker was lining up that penalty goal that would level the scores and send the fast-finishing Raiders into extra time.

As the ball sailed wide that night, it’s impossible to fathom the agony of what Croker must have felt. The match, had been, at the last moment, at their fingertips.

We can only ever postulate on what might have happened had that match gone into golden point. But victory over the Tigers would have pitted Canberra against eventual premiers St George Illawarra,  of which given their recent history and form, the Raiders would have fancied their chances. Beyond the Dragons, lay the Roosters. And possibly the NRL premiership. Who knows. History could so easily have been rewritten that night.

One kick. One chance. That’s finals football. That’s what it can come down to.

Rugby league can be a cruel mistress sometimes.

Just ask Jarrod Croker.

 

The Milestone Five:  Jarrod Croker’s notable kicking results in the second half of NRL Season 2010:

5.  Round 22, 2010 – Croker 5 from 5 v Penrith @ Canberra Stadium. The Raiders defeat the high flying Panthers 30-26 on the back of another perfect night with the boot from Jarrod Croker.

4. Round 18, 2010 – Croker 4 from 4 v Manly @ Brookvale Oval. The Raiders would being a run of 9 from their last 10 before the Tigers, with 24-22 victory over the Eagles.

3. Round 26, 2010 – Croker 3 from 3 v Brisbane @ Suncorp Stadium. Another flawless kicking display meant the Raiders would defeat the Broncos 18-16 that day relegating the Broncos from the finals.

2. Qualifying Final, 2010 – Croker 4 from 4 v Penrith @ CUA Stadium. Accurate kicking was the only thing that kept the Raiders season alive with a 24-22 victory in their 2nd v 7th clash.

1. Semi-Final 2010 – Croker 4 from 5 v Wests Tigers @ Canberra Stadium. In a single kick that will forever haunt Jarrod Croker, his miss drew the curtain on the Raiders 2010 Finals campaign.

 

With thanks to Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac for the picture.