CANBERRA captain Jarrod Croker has revealed he snubbed his own sister’s wedding in 2009 for a shot at an NRL career.
Speaking on the Locker Room vodcast, Croker told host Denan Kemp how he he was ignored for the step up from Under 20s at a key stage of his career – only to be called up for a pre-season friendly due to injury.
Only one problem: the game was on the same day as a very important family occasion.
“After that 2008 Under 20s win, they put a few of the boys up to train with first grade and I wasn’t even one of them,” Croker, 27, said,
“I think Josh Dugan was – obviously – one of them. Mick Picker, Joel Thompson, guys like that, were training with first grade. I trained with the under 20s through to Christmas, a bit after Christmas.
“I think one of the boys, Duges or something, got injured before a trial game and I just happened and I just happened to get the call-up to a trial game in Brisbane.
“It was on my sister’s wedding (day), so she was stoked. I brushed her wedding to go up and play a trial game as a kid.”
When Kemp suggested the decision was “a tough call”, Croker responded: “It was a tough decision and I’m sure she’s probably filthy at me still.
“But I think she knows that if I didn’t take that choice, it could have gone the other way for me.”
