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The Canberra Raiders have been delivered a crushing blow with champion Jarrod Croker needing shoulder surgery, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

Canberra legend Jarrod Croker's NRL career hangs in the balance after scans confirmed he'll need season-ending shoulder surgery.

The 31-year-old initially hurt the shoulder diving to prevent a try against Canterbury in round nine, before dislocating it again at home weeks later while reaching for his TV remote.

"Croker injured his shoulder against the Bulldogs in round nine and was hopeful of returning last weekend, but a reoccurrence of the injury will see him undergo surgery in the coming weeks," a statement from the club read.

He's played 292 NRL games and remains contracted through to 2024, but his body is threatening to derail his progress towards becoming the 44th member of the league's 300 club.

The Raider co-captain is already second on the club's all-time games list behind Jason Croker (318 games).

Croker rarely missed matches through his first 12 seasons in the NRL but has had a number of injuries in recent years, having revolutionary stem-cell surgery on his knee in a bid to save his NRL career after last campaign.