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The NRL predictably issued a $10,000 breach notice on Parramatta and Ricky Stuart for the coach’s extraordinary outburst against the referees last Sunday night.
But it was little more than a public slap on the wrist for a man who has atrocious form in this area and the chances are that such tirades will happen down the track again.
It’s a very ugly look for the man, his club and the League and it sets the poorest of examples for coaches at all levels of the game.
Hey clipboard carriers – when your team loses games you should win, simply drag out the ‘bag-the-refs card’ and go for your life.
Stuart lambasted the match officials Adam Gee and Jason Robinson for the caning of his Eels, who were on the wrong end of a 12-4 penalty count in their loss to the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Stadium.
The coach even told media representatives he felt the penalties were justified but complained that Parramatta was easy to penalise as they weren’t in the top performing bracket of teams in 2013.
He certainly got that right. Stats show the blue-and-golds have been penalised 46 times in the six rounds, which suggests Stuart’s team lacks discipline in the basic areas and needs to tidy things up pronto or face more of the same treatment.
One of the reasons Parra got caned by the whistle-blowers in the second half last week was their despicable ball control.
They gave the Titans possession time and again and it’s pretty hard to receive penalties if the other mob has virtually all of the ball.
No, Roarers, Ricky’s tirade carries little clout from me and I say he should have been issued with a breach notice for a lot more than ten grand for bringing the game into disrepute.
He might have been better off telling the assembled press that there were chronic discipline (and defensive) problems in his organisation that need urgent fixing.
He has a lot of work to do and if he doesn’t get things right, his job is on the line. Or maybe the cranky coach should have had a chat to a few of his players.
“You get frustrated with the penalty count when it goes against you,” said second-rower Ben Smith.
“But if you’ve got a job to do and you’re not doing it correctly, then sometimes we have to look at ourselves.
“There’s no point in having a whinge and carrying it around on the field. That’ll have the reverse effect.”
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