Jarrod Croker will remain with the Canberra Raiders following his retirement last year as the club announced he will join their coaching staff in 2024.
"It’s an honour to have the opportunity to remain with the Raiders in this new role and I’m really keen to work with players from right across the grades to help them as much as I can," the former skipper told the club's website.
Jarrod Croker returns to the Canberra Raiders in a coaching role
Croker has been given a dual role in the nation’s capital which will see him work with players across all grades while operating as an outside backs coach as well as offering guidance in goal-kicking.
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"I’ll be looking to bring my own experiences and what I’ve learnt over my career and pass on what I’ve learnt to the next generation of Raiders players," Croker added.
Canberra’s CEO Don Furner pointed to how Croker’s vast experience from the kicking tee was a valuable skill which he could pass on to players within the club where he is the leading point scorer.
"His standing among the game, in particular with his goal kicking, is something that will be extremely valuable," Furner said.
"Jarrod is a good communicator and will have no problems passing on his knowledge and tips to our young players."
This was something which Melbourne Storm coach and former Canberra player Craig Bellamy claimed the club would miss massively upon Croker's retirement.
"He was a wonderful centre, he was smooth on the ground, and he could score tries from anywhere,” Bellamy said as he heaped praise on the veteran last season.
"One of the things the Raiders might miss with him is how dependable he was with his goal kicking, and he's done that for years."
Croker developed through the Raiders’ junior pathway systems to become a 300-game player at the club, while he sits third on the all-time NRL point scoring list, behind only Cameron Smith and Hazem El Masri.
"The fact that he’ll also be working with the club’s junior representative and Jersey Flegg teams is another huge positive for the club," Furner continued.
"They get to learn from someone who has been through the pathway system from under 16’s right through to the NRL."
Croker brought the curtain down on his 15-year career in Canberra last season as his emotional exit coincided with fellow stalwart Jack Wighton also leaving the club.
"If you can describe a Raider, it's Jarrod Croker," Wighton said last year while paying tribute to his teammate.
"Everybody knows that he's a humble man and he's done his business without making too much fuss for many, many years and he's very respected down our way."
