After years of disappointment and injury, Lachlan Croker has finally begun the run of uninterrupted games with the Manly Sea Eagles that he has long dreamed of.
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Over his first three years in the NRL, Croker played 13 games. In 2020 alone, he has nearly doubled that number, with nine consecutive appearances for Manly.
"I couldn't tell you the last time I played nine straight," Croker said.
"It's a good year by that definition and it's been really good to be out there. Obviously the results haven't gone our way, but to be honest I'm just happy to be playing footy."
Manly has won four games and lost five so far in the season, but two of those wins were over the Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters - both of whom played in the 2019 grand final.
There is obviously no shortage of quality in the side, and Croker said it is just a matter of finding the right mentality for each game.
"We've had a few hard conversations the last few weeks," he said. "It's hard to put into words, our effort wasn't where it needed to be.
"When we turn up to games mentally, we obviously play good footy. We need to find ways to win, and the season's not long enough for us to say we can get it next week. The point is coming where we need to start winning games and get on with the job."
The no-nonsense attitude Croker possesses, though unusual for most 23-year-olds, is representative of his determination to make the most of every day.
Having suffered through multiple serious knee and shoulder injuries, Croker is acutely aware of how quickly the privilege of playing professional football can be snatched away.
"I couldn't tell you the last game I didn't have something to prove," Croker said.
"Every game for me is trying to prove something, as it is for most guys. That's not really a change, it's just being able to get those minutes out and keep my body in one piece.
"I still wake up every day feeling like that could be my last day. In the last couple of months, things have been going really well, but injuries are part of the game and if it happens, it happens."
As he has managed to not only stay healthy in 2020, but perform increasingly important roles for the Sea Eagles, so too has Croker's stock risen in the eyes of the coaching staff.
"Early on the focus was getting the coaching staff to have confidence in me to make sure they know I can do a job and not just fill a jersey," he said.
"[Des Hasler, Manly coach] spoke to me in round four to say he's going to start giving me more time and he did. It was about making sure everyone knew I was comfortable in the role and wouldn't let them down."
In the first six games of the season, Croker played a utility role, primarily in the middle. From game one to five, he played no more than 30 minutes.
From round six, against the Raiders, onwards, Croker has consistently played at least half the match; a sign of faith from Hasler that was not lost on the youngster.
This was buoyed by his promotion to five-eighth in rounds seven and eight, after Dylan Walker suffered two fractures in his foot.
Alongside the trust which has grown between himself and the coaching staff, Croker said the other major influence on his game has come simply from observing and listening to the senior players.
"Daly Cherry-Evans is a very fluent speaker and intelligent guy," he said.
"Guys like Jake and Tom Trbojevic, they're very good at their job so it's watching how they go about things and how they prepare for games.
"You see how much they care about their club and what losing means to them, you don't want to be the guy who lets them down."
This weekend will be another stern challenge for the Sea Eagles, when they take on the first-ranked Parramatta Eels.
From this weekend, Croker said, the season effectively becomes do-or-die for Manly.
"We don't have a choice at the moment, it's going to be a big game and they're definitely going to be up for it," he said.
"They're playing good footy at the moment, we'll prepare like we're going to win and fingers crossed things go our way. It'll definitely be a good match if things go the way they're supposed to."
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