The NRL's Hidden Gem: How Mat Croker Became Newcastle's Key to Success

Mat Croker, the Newcastle Knights' lock forward, has been the unsung hero of the team's remarkable turnaround from wooden spooners to finals contenders. With his low-key excellence, Croker has played a crucial role in the Knights' dynamic attack, making him a key player in their sudden-death final against the Warriors on Sunday.

Croker is the only Knight to have played every game this year, and his ball-playing in the middle of the field has been instrumental in setting up tries for his teammates. "I'm the link man to our halves and making sure our weapons out wide, guys like KP [Kalyn Ponga] and Braddy [Bradman Best] and Gags [Dane Gagai] get the ball if the cues are there in the defender," Croker said. "If they're not, just go through the middle."

Croker's Impact on the Team

The 27-year-old makes his job sound simple, but it's not easy. Croker's passing, communication, and structure have helped give the Knights the opportunity to explode and dazzle. He is the rock on which you can build a church that worships attacking football. Newcastle lead the league in tries from their own half with 31, and more than a quarter of those begin with Croker at first receiver, setting shape and creating time for the men outside him.

Sidelined halfback Dylan Brown believes Croker's impact is invaluable. "He understands the game really well. His footy smarts, when to play it out the back and when to run — he knows he's not the biggest player on the field but he knows how to find a gap and he knows when the spine needs the ball," said Brown. "We've had all these new players come in but we still have the core. We still have Mat Croker and Phoenix Crossland, they haven't changed all year, and the more the ball goes through their hands the easier it's going to be for the rest of the team."

Croker's Journey to Success

Croker has enjoyed the best season of his NRL career, and it's been a long time coming. Since his debut in 2021, he has been a solid contributor for the Knights, mainly coming off the bench. But after working closely with new coach Justin Holbrook and attack coach Steven Hales over the summer, Croker was given a chance to start in the club's trip to Las Vegas in Round 1.

"Ever since day one they've put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and I'm really grateful they've done that because I think it's brought out the best football of my career," Croker said. "Back in Vegas they backed a hunch and took a bit of a punt of me to start and I've had the luxury of starting every game since. That's a lot of faith and I try to repay it."

Croker's skills were always there, he just needed the chance to unlock them. "Without being arrogant, I always felt like I had some skills with passing and I'm not a barnstorming forward, so I had to work around that and find other ways to improve," said Croker. "The ability to pass and show and go was part of that — the cues, I've worked really hard with Halesy and Justo to see those."

The Road to the Preliminary Final

Newcastle can progress to their first preliminary final since 2013 with a win on Sunday. Croker had a strong game in the previous round, leading the way for Newcastle's depleted pack by holding the middle together and making 42 tackles without a miss. He says he was inspired by the prospect of taking on Cameron Murray. "I was coming up against a good 13 in Cameron Murray, who's one of the best players in the whole competition," Croker said. "I'm not saying I played over him but I knew I had a big challenge because we play similar roles and I tried to embrace that challenge without the two front-rowers I've beside me all year."