Outgoing Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart expects the assassination of his character to continue after explaining to the Eels faithful he made the decision to quit the club for family and career reasons.
Stuart addressed fans, sponsors, past and present players, coaches and management at the Parramatta presentation night at Rosehill Racecourse on Thursday night.
It was less than 24 hours after Parramatta announced Stuart would not fulfil the last two years of his contract and would be taking over at Canberra.
He spoke to the playing group earlier in the night and said it was a decision that he hadn’t taken lightly because it affected a lot of people.
“It’s been very hard, it’s been very difficult, it’s a very big decision,” Stuart said.
“I’ve had a lot of criticism today. It’s not easy to take.
“I’ve had my character judged.
I made a decision that’s best for my career and my family and I’ll wear all the criticism.”
“I’ve been assassinated over the last day and I’ll be assassinated again tomorrow, but they are small-minded people.
“They don’t understand the big decision I’ve had to make.”
Stuart said he didn’t back down from his mid-season decision to cut several players, who won’t be at the club next year.
“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve had to make this decision and I’m proud of the fact I’ve got the courage to do it,” Stuart said.
“I’ll continue to get the criticism, but I will stand strong and I’ll cop the criticism and I’ll cop the punishment whilst everyone knows it’s the best decision for myself and my family.”
He said he would love to see Parramatta successful again and was upbeat about their future despite the Eels collecting back-to-back wooden spoons.
“They are not too far away from being a consistently competitive football team,” Stuart said.
“Why? Because I really do believe that the debutants we had this year are genuine first-grade football players.
“There’s a couple of players, debutants, that will be representative players.
“I believe Darcy Lussick and Kelepi Tnaganoa are representative players of the future and Jacob Loko who has been very unfortunate with injury, is a representative player of the future.”
Stuart received support from key players including co-captain Tim Mannah, who won three awards on the night, and fellow forward Lussick, who took out the main Players’ Player prize.
“He’s off to Canberra and he’s going with my support and my best wishes,” Mannah said.
Lussick, who was in his first season after crossing from Manly said: “I really appreciate what he’s done for me and I’m forever indebted to him for what he’s done for me this year.”
Earl Park
Guest
Unsticky Ricky.
marayong tiger
Guest
Parra's got to burn all their old GF videos an Hardie jumpers and look to the future!
Marldon
Guest
+1
Marldon
Guest
Yeah well if you took off those rose tinted fish shaped glasses that you wear then you would probably agree with me more often.
V44
Guest
I am a Sharks fan and Stuart has always been a dud. Very poor man manager and simply cannot coach. Always worried me when he said he had a "3 yr plan". Gives him excuse for a couple of years and he then moves on before the magic 3rd yr is up. Only did ok at Easts given support he had from likes of Gould, Pay, Cartwright etc. Including 2008 really did nothing for Sharks, turned over player personnel every year ( sound familiar) and then blamed players for not clicking. A Joke. To now play "family card" is just latest excuse he and Fordham have come up with to justify their existence. Parra so much better off without him. Canberra and "the Game" the biggest losers by him still being involved. Nickname should be stinky not sticky. He has no honour.
apaway
Roar Guru
EagleJack I find it a little galling that Stuart talks about "character assassination" when he seems to have done a pretty good hatchet job on his own character. I just wonder if Parramatta had a reasonable season, or the Raiders opportunity did not arise, whether we'd be seeing this now. The man has run out on a multi year contract after one season, that doesn't seem right to me.
mushi
Guest
Wouldn't Sandow just fit right in with a black and orange polo shirt straining against his ample midsection
Hez
Roar Rookie
Dugan, and Ferguson.
Gareth
Roar Pro
Surely Parramatta can pay the Raiders compensation for getting rid of a major headache.
bestywins
Guest
Sorry Rod I disagree, he has just played this"family" card now . He was just waiting for Furner to get sacked that's why he had the clause put in because he knew he couldn't get the Canberra gig this year so he took the big money at parra knowing what would happen. Ricky's always been about Ricky WHAT ABOUT THE PLAYERS FAMILIES AND THEIR JOB LOSS DUE TO HIS decision, they have no club to go too based on his "future " vision for the club. His comment "I'm proud of that decision " just smacks of his total arrogance and lack of understanding of other people lives
oikee
Guest
Burning a candle hear Scott, i replied to you but it is on mods.
oikee
Guest
Hehe, i am on mods with a post below, wait till you get aload of my next rant. Yes, aimed at Manly. Mind you the Roosters are fast taking over from Manly. I have now turned my sights on another worthy target, even bigger than the Old burnt out silvertails, no,,this is the new improved silvertails, with handshake deals and Gus as their cheerleader. Manly are amateurs compared to this mob. Hehe
johnno
Guest
After al that is said and done why keep a coach that doesn't want to be there? It,s much better for him to leave now that half way thru next year.. Pair up Craig Fitzgibbon and Jason Taylor at Parra as they are the new breed
matt h
Guest
Anthony Millford can pack his bags today. There is no way Canberra can justify keeping him now is there? I'm not bagging Stuart's reasons and I'm pretty sure he would not have signed with the Eels if the Canberra job had been available 12 months ago. But he just doesn't seem to be a very good coach. At the Rooster snd Sharks he got some first year bounce, but that's it.
matt h
Guest
Week after week year after year Oikee winds up the Manly supporters and week after week year after year they bite.
oikee
Guest
So he gets rid of the deadwood, keeps the superstars much like the Storm do and your trying to tell me he can coach. Come-on Scott, all the deadwood that leaves mnaly are floundering in Wooden spoon teams. Robinson Rodney at London Broncos, who mind you they have nearly made defunct, Williams has been voted most over-rated, next to Anasta, Lussick and Hooppa, at Parra the wooden spooners, and Hoppa is alread ylooking for a out before he touches down. Orford came back and destroyed Canberra's season. Mate your kidding yourself if your trying to tell me that Manly get rid of anyone but deadwood. Like i saud Give me Cheerry=Evans and Keiran Forun and i will coach the Eels to a final. Anyone who goes anywhere near Manly rejects have rocks in their heads. The superstars are all still at Manly, 11 internationals this year in the world cup. The Roosters are now taking a leaf outta Manly's books, the way this code is going we will have no juniors to fill these make believe clubs. Why Should NZ Brisbane Queensland and Parramatta keep feeding these titty suckers while our clubs are burning, dying, rotting on the vine. This code needs to wake up fast, i mean come-on, 4 games this weekend and the aFL play one and beat Sydney's grand total. Shut the code down we keep this up, you have nobody buying this code. Even Harvey Norman is gone. He can see a fool when he looks at one.
arthur rightus
Guest
"Better at coaching elite players" That's hilarious....who wouldn't be?? There wouldn't be a coach anywhere who wouldn't have a better record with elite players than he does with average players. The excuses made for this bloke are beyond ridiculous.
Trenno
Guest
'Ricky moving on for personal reasons..a bit different', It going to be interesting when Ricky turns up to Canberra and tells Milford he needs to honour his contract. Milf will be well in his rights to ask what the difference is between both of their situations. If Ricky can leave mid contract (without any get out clause) to go home to be closer to family because of his daughter, then he is going to have to let Anthony (who has a get out clause) go back to Brisbane to be with he dying father. If Canberra were planning to keep Milford then Ricky's appointment is already a balls-up. I also bet David Shillington will be gone by the end of next year, those two weren't the best of friends at the Roosters; I think he will end up at the Titans as Bailey's replacement.
Crazy Harry
Guest
Ricky Stuart has left the Eels for career and family reasons. He had a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave. Fair enough. So I am sure we can expect to see the prompt announcement of the release of Anthony Milford based on exactly the same reasoning. Surely Stuart and the Raiders administration would see the absolute hypocrisy of now telling Milford that he must fulfil his contract commitments . It's funny how the clubs scream blue murder when a player wants out of a contract , even when he has clause saying he can, yet at the first opportunity will poach another clubs coach who was only one year into a 3 year deal. The Raiders can't have their cake and eat it too
Mals
Guest
What's that Oikee, a false economy eh? Manly is now in their 9 straight finals series. Why? Excellent coaching, smart player purchases & a winning culture at the club. Got very little to do with aging internationals... Apart from Foran in the NZ team, Daly's cameo game & Choc occasionally being in the Australian team Manly has had few internationals of late. But as we all know Oikee doesn't let the truth get in the way of a good story.