NRL: Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart blasts Jarrod Croker critics as 'great event' looms

That's why the Canberra Raiders coach wanted Croker to play his 300^th NRL game at Canberra Stadium - to create "one of the biggest events we've had for a player in Canberra".

And it's already shaping up as a big one - despite the Green Machine taking on one of the lowest-drawing crowds at Canberra Stadium, the New Zealand Warriors, on Friday night.

Early ticket sales were strong, with the Raiders expecting a crowd of 20,000 to come through the turnstiles to see Croker become just the second player to reach the milestone at the club.

He'll become the 18^th player to play 300 games at one club in the process.

And in another sign of how big an event it's shaping as, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo will blow the Viking Horn to help kick proceedings off.

But Stuart's decision to rest Croker from the Raiders' heart-stopping, 20-19 victory over Wests Tigers at Campbelltown on Friday night was met with some criticism.

NRL great Cronk was the first and most vocal critic, saying he didn't agree with it because it went against the "we are in it together" mantra.

While Stuart didn't name names in his post-match comments, Cronk hasn't been a senior coach since he retired.

"When you're a leader - I'm only one of the leaders at this club - and it was a risk, but in leadership you've got to take a risk," Stuart said.

"It really shitted me off that these so-called experts, who have never man-managed, who have never been leaders in regards to making tough decisions.

"That was a big risk [on Friday night] and I knew I was going to cop it from everyone if we had've got beaten.

"But I was prepared to take the risk. That's leadership. Not these other muppets who pretend they know."

Stuart played in the 1994 grand final-winning Canberra team with the only other Raiders player to play 300 games - Jason Croker, a distant relation to Jarrod.

Jason played his 300^th in Brisbane - a 30-28 loss to the Broncos at Lang Park in 2006.

But Stuart wanted Jarrod to play his big game at home, in front of Raiders fans, to make it an extra special event.

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Stuart's not the only one who thinks the Green Machine get a raw deal.

"This will be one of the biggest events we've had for a player in Canberra," he said.

"Jase, one of my best mates, he had to play his in Brisbane. So be it. I've made a decision. I want Jarrod to play his 300^th at home. It'll be a great event for the club.

"We get nothing. The Raiders get nothing. We're battlers, we're just brawlers - you could see that [Friday night]. And we're good at it and we're happy to be proud of it.

"But we'll have a great event this week and Jarrod Croker deserves everything he gets next weekend."

JARROD CROKER ROUND

Friday: Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium, 6pm.

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