Jarrod Croker and wife Brittany at the 2019 Dally M Awards night.Credit: NRL Images/Gregg Porteous
“When I first moved from Goulburn to Canberra, I spent a lot of time at Toddy’s house, and he taught me about being on time, how to eat well and do the little things right.
“When Todd first got his P-plates and we were living in Goulburn, he’d pick me up from my house and we’d go and kick goals and play ‘kick tennis’ for hours.
“When he ended up at Atherton [in 2009], I flew up there [far north Queensland] at the end of the year and watched him play in the grand final. A lot of people don’t realise how long we have been friends.”
Carney was flattered by Croker’s comments and said: “While my career was up and down and [littered] with controversy, one thing I prided myself on was being one of the fittest players at any club I was at.
“I wasn’t the greatest footballer growing up, but I worked hard, which I had to do to make it in the NRL. Jarrod saw that at a young age. I wanted to set an example to Jarrod because he was a few years younger.
“I hadn’t faced any dramas at that stage, and I didn’t start drinking until there were health issues with dad [who died from dementia in 2008].
Jarrod Croker and Todd Carney as doting dads.
“I’m so proud of Jarrod. He’s very under-rated, but only to those people who are on the outside looking in. He’s certainly not under-rated when it comes to the people who play with and against him. He’s not only a great player but a great person and a great leader.
“He came back into the team this year via his peers voting him back into the team, and they’ve turned their season around since. What he has gone through the last few years with his injuries, it’s a huge credit to him.”
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Carney is still loved by Raiders fans and there was a brief push by supporters for him to blow the Viking horn before kick-off ahead of Croker’s milestone game. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo was asked, but the club was told to have somebody from the Raiders do the honours on such a special night.
Maybe Carney will get another chance if Croker plays on next year, putting him within touching distance of another Canberra milestone – namesake Jason Croker’s all-time appearance record of 324.
Croker failed to play enough games the past couple of seasons to activate an extension for 2024, but he would love to play on for his 16th season and give it a shot.
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