But as for the whereabouts of Jarrod Croker's mother Pauline? That is anyone's guess.

The Canberra Raiders captain laughs she could be hiding in the bathroom or doing laps of the Canberra Stadium concourse.

Nerves often get the better of her when her son takes that final step back before easing his way towards the kicking tee.

Still, after 249 NRL games through which Croker has shattered club point scoring records, she gets those familiar butterflies.

Just another reason for Croker's two older sisters to continue ribbing him about being the "baby" of the family.

On the football field he is anything but. There, he is Jarrod Croker the reliable centre, the point-scoring machine, the inspirational captain.

MORE RAIDERS NEWS

The 28-year-old will play his 250^th NRL game when he leads the Raiders in a top four showdown against the Sydney Roosters at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.

The achievement brings him back where it all began - against the same club, at the same ground, with his mother experiencing that same set of nerves.

As for what Croker remembers about that day in March 2009, when he pulled the No. 20 jersey over the blonde tips in his hair to line up on the wing?

"I've never even watched it. I'm pretty sure I marked Sia [Soliola] to be honest, Sia played for the Roosters that game," Croker said.

"We got a bit of a touch up, I think it was 28-4. I don't really remember much, I don't think I ever watched the replay to be honest."

Between then and now sit 248 more club games during which Croker has become Canberra's second most-capped player and eclipsed all others to become the Raiders' leading point scorer and top try scorer.

"It's something I am very proud of. If you told me I would ever play 250 games for this club all those years ago, I would have laughed at you," Croker said.

"It seems like only yesterday I was talking about my first game. It's gone very quick but it has been really enjoyable as well.

"I don't want to get too excited or too carried away, it's still just a game of football and I don't want to kick up a song and dance about it all.

"I've got the family and that coming over, and I want them to enjoy the occasion as much as I will."

To bring up 250 games at 28 is a phenomenal achievement, but never has the Goulburn product played for individual accolades.

Not making a fuss of oneself comes with the territory of being "pretty laidback and pretty cruisy". Croker would much rather find himself leading the Raiders onto the park come that first Sunday in October.

But to look that far ahead would be a disservice to the work Canberra need to do to get there. First come the Roosters, then ladder-leading Melbourne, then two more top eight sides and one looking to revive their season.

The Raiders are hoping for a crowd of more than 20,000 to stream through the gates for the first time since the club hosted finals football three years ago.

It looms as the perfect rehearsal for the business end of the season as the Raiders ride a wave of momentum in their push for a top two finish.

"We're preparing for one of the biggest games we've played in a long, long time, but it's still just a round 21 competition game," Croker said.

"You can't look past the Roosters. You can't be looking at Melbourne, you can't be looking at Manly. You've got to worry about the Roosters first, and if you get past the Roosters, then you can't look past Melbourne.

"Those sides have also got to come up against us. Everyone is going to be desperate at this time of the year, there's still sides trying to fill in the top eight.

"It's always a desperate time of the year, but if you're playing your best footy at this time of year and hitting your straps, you're in a good spot."

Greg Croker knows where his spot is, but Pauline? Who knows.

NRL ROUND 21

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Canberra Stadium, 2pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Bailey Simonsson, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Nick Cotric, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson (C), 10. Sia Soliola, 11. John Bateman, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Joe Tapine. Interchange: 14. Siliva Havili, 15. Dunamis Lui, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Ryan Sutton, 18. Sam Williams, 19. Joey Leilua, 20. Emre Guler, 21. Michael Oldfield.

Roosters squad: 1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Latrell Mitchell, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Isaac Liu, 11. Angus Crichton, 12. Mitchell Aubusson, 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Nat Butcher, 15. Zane Tetevano, 16. Poasa Faamausili, 17. Sitili Tupouniua, 18. Lindsay Collins, 19. Drew Hutchison, 20. Matt Ikuvalu, 21. Lachlan Lam.