It was meant to be a day of celebration, but Canberra Raiders star Josh McCrone’s 100th game against Melbourne last year is a day he would prefer to forget.
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And while hooker Glen Buttriss called the 68-4 home thrashing in round 21 ‘‘embarrassing’’, McCrone says revenge won’t be motivating the Raiders against the Storm on Easter Sunday at Canberra Stadium.
The club-record loss ended a 12-game winning streak at home, and the Raiders have since lost their past six games in Canberra after losing to Newcastle last weekend.
Incredibly, Melbourne have won the past four games against Canberra in the nation’s capital, though the Raiders upset the Storm the past three years at AAMI Park.
‘‘That was my 100th game – the boys looked after me that day, setting a new biggest loss for the Raiders,’’ McCrone said. ‘‘Hopefully the boys can put in a bit better performance.
McCrone said he had enjoyed his brief cameo returning to the halves against Newcastle, setting up a try when a head knock to Matt Allwood forced five-eighth Jack Wighton to move to centre.
Coach Ricky Stuart has shifted him to a bench hooker role this year, though McCrone said he wouldn’t be averse to a pinch-hitting role in the halves.