Mixed news for Raiders

Canberra Raiders veteran Jason Croker will definitely make his return to top grade football this weekend ? and he?s been promoted to the starting line-up.

Croker suffered a serious knee injury in the opening round of the competition that has kept him off the field for the past seven weeks.

He was named on the Raiders bench by coach Matthew Elliott on Tuesday but it?s been confirmed that he will now start in Sunday?s match against the Sydney Roosters.

Croker will start at lock, with Ian Hindmarsh moving into the second row and Tyran Smith back to the interchange bench.

It?s not all good news for the Raiders though, with forward Alan Tongue facing the rest of the season on the sidelines. Tongue may require a shoulder reconstruction, which would require a recovery period of at least six months.

He is undergoing an athroscope on the shoulder this afternoon.