There were times in the darkness of the past year that Lachlan Croker wondered how he'd get back to play NRL.
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He had to undergo a third knee reconstruction after watching his best shot at the top grade fall away when he limped off Lottoland last April against Newcastle.
He took another hit over the summer, relegated to Manly's development squad as Kane Elgey came to the club to fight for the No.6 jersey with Trent Hodkinson.
"That was really hard," Croker said of his demotion.
"Obviously doing my knee nearly a year ago now, it was a scary place.
"My partner put up with me every night I went home and I was miserable.
"Mum and dad and my brothers, I was really fortunate to have that support around me. And guys like (rehabilitation coach) Cameron Ferguson, I couldn't have done it without him."
It was for that reason Croker was notably emotional after Sunday's return to the field against former club Canberra.
Just over a year to the day that his anterior cruciate ligament let him down, Croker scored two tries and spearheaded Manly's attack once Daly Cherry-Evans left the field injured.
"It was scary. I remember walking off the field thinking where do you go from here? It was a tough 12 months," Croker recalled.
"I remember just looking at the team, thinking I don't know how I'm going to get back - they were playing that well.
"And looking at how Des talks and the game plan he puts in, I remember just thinking: I can't see these guys losing."
Only a week after his return, Croker is set to be handed the keys to the Sea Eagles' attack against Canterbury on Saturday with Cherry-Evans out.
But brought into the team ahead of Elgey to give the left edge some extra punch, Croker showed he had no concerns pointing the team around in Sunday's win over the Raiders without his halfback.
"I was lucky enough to play the first two months with him (Cherry-Evans) last year, and that's where I learned a lot of my footy," Croker said.
"A lot of that was from him and I knew that was my job to do that for the team." AAP
