'I'm so proud': The family behind Jarrod Croker on his way to 300 NRL games for the Canberra Raiders

"What you see is what you get with Jarrod," Brittney wrote. "The cool, calm guy you see on the field is the same guy we get at home. Through it all he's been incredible, supportive, strong and positive."

Surprising? Hardly.

There's a reason more than 20,000 fans are expected to flock through the Canberra Stadium turnstiles when the Canberra Raiders face the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night.

It's for the headgear-wearing, goal-kicking centre who is about to become the second Raider in club history to play 300 games. You know, the one that gave green-eyed fans a reason to dream back in 2008 when a bunch of kids won an under 20s title on the game's biggest stage. The inspirational captain whose career was all but over, who Canberra fans have fallen in love with all over again.

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Brittney has been there every step of the way, since Jarrod was a teenager with bleach blonde tips. So when the mother of two says she doesn't know how her husband keeps battling back, you take notice.

Jarrod might have been 13 when he sidled up to his uncle and told him: "If I don't play in the NRL, I want to be a builder like you".

"That's the thing that got me," Jarrod's father Greg said.

Jarrod knew where he wanted to be, and nothing was going to stop him.

Not even when every limb was failing him, or when he was kicking around at Kippax in reserve grade two months ago.

"People were saying 'When is he going to retire, blah blah blah'. I knew very well he didn't want to. I did think he would get [to 300 games] eventually, because I know what he's like," Greg said.

"I had my doubts, I guess everyone did with the bloody knee, then the shoulder, then the bloody shoulder again and the other knee.

"We got to that stage where you think 'Shit, mate, it's about time you started looking after your body'. We all had some sort of doubt, but in the back of my mind, I always knew it was his decision and he was going to keep going."

Long enough for his mother Pauline to fill another scrapbook. She keeps just about everything - news articles, pictures, jerseys.

But she still can't sit through a game.

"Actually I'm worse. I'm a bit more nervous now," Pauline said when asked if, after 299 games, she can finally settle and watch her son play.

"I just walk around the fields and pop my head in every now and again to make sure he's still on there. I've got my phone in my pocket which tells me who scored. Even though I'm outside the oval, I'm still keeping an eye on him."

You could be forgiven for wondering why the Raiders captain didn't throw in the towel, considering every game might as well have his family reaching for their nearest set of rosary beads.

Then you meet Jarrod, the dad. The hands-on father who loves spending time outside with his boys Rory and Tate, who takes them into training and is "always there" for his family.

"Oh my god, if you had a day in our house," Brittney laughed.

"We listen to the Green Machine song maybe 20 times, we do the Viking clap, Rory pretends he does a run out. He lives and breathes football.

"He's got his own headgear, he's got two pairs of boots, white and black. He's got four or five kicking tees. He's even got his own little backpack. He sees Jarrod pack his bag in the morning so Rory does the exact same, he's just absolutely obsessed with it.

"It's beautiful, it makes his heart the happiest. Whenever I talk about going to the football, he squeals. The excitement on his face is so nice. Tate is only eight months or so now, so hopefully he can get to an age where he can participate in the excitement levels, but I don't know if I could handle them both being as excited as Rory.

"I'm so proud of Jarrod, but it brings a whole new meaning when you see your little man supporting your husband like that."

Brittney can sense a desire within her husband to play on next year. Maybe even the year after that. But when you consider just getting through a day of training unscathed is a relief, you wonder about what comes next.

"That's what the scary thing will be, because we've both known it for so long. I wouldn't have it any other way," Brittney said.

"You see then how much he puts his body on the line, and now we do have the boys, you do think about the future. You want Jarrod to be out the back and kick the footy or play golf.

"You've got to think about his body for the long-term, but like I said, he's still got his heart and mind set on football, especially with Rory. He's a mini-Raider, he's obsessed and absolutely adores it.

"I think that might be in the back of his head too, that he wants to keep playing for Rory."

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