Following the hapless New Zealand Warriors 54-12 thrashing of the once-mighty Canberra Raiders on Saturday afternoon, Ricky Stuart’s recent coaching record stands at 13 wins from his last 60 NRL games.
Just when you thought this once-proud club couldn’t possibly put together two back-to-back dreadful, spiritless performances, they were made to look like a bunch of schoolboys playing against men in Auckland.
Here is a fact about Ricky Stuart – the best thing he has done since finishing his distinguished rugby league playing career is signing John Fordham as his business manager.
Fordham is a genius for his role in persuading poorly-performing NRL clubs to sign this impostor of an NRL coach to long-term deals.
When Ricky left the Roosters to join Cronulla, he was paid out of his contract. Similarly, he is still being paid by the Eels while ruining the Green Machine.
Ricky inherited a great Roosters team from Graham Murray and was given a walk up start to a premiership with Brad Fittler, Craig Wing, Brett Finch, Luke Ricketson and Adrian Morley on his roster. Slowly, as the seasons wore on and he lost the trust and respect of his players, his tenure became untenable.
Roosters players towards the end if his career openly criticised Sticky in public in a clear sign they did not respect him.
In his three years at Cronulla, Ricky managed just 33 wins.
We all remember what he did at the Eels – sacking half of the players mid season before walking out in the club at the end of the year. In 24 games at the Eels Ricky only had five wins. Yes, five. That’s 21 per cent.
And yet the miracle worker that is John Fordham managed to get his client a lucrative three-year deal at Canberra.
Results don’t lie. It is only a matter of time before the Canberra board see beyond Fordham’s magic and sack his client.
The earlier this is done by Canberra, the better.
Jz
Guest
Yes mid table is good for the raiders. And a 40-16 thrashing is also doing alright ?
Gutto
Guest
Looks to be doing a reasonable job at the moment.
Green Bleeder
Guest
Watch and weep haters when Ricky takes Raiders to GF.
Ramjet
Guest
This excellent spray was written almost a year ago now, and is just as accurate now as it was then. Canberra were so lacklustre last night that they failed to beat the softest team in the NRL - the Dragons - and Stuart then had a pathetic moan about his players being not up to scratch. Surely his primary measure of success would be the degree to which he turns players into champions? Stuart seems to excel in taking decent teams backwards and blaming the players. It isn't the same players year after year after year, though (obviously). The only common denominator is Stuart. Do the math. As a dead-set Maroon, I admit that I have NEVER like Stuart, so the Grand Final win with the Roosters team that he inherited was galling to watch. All of the Blues press was lauding him, grovelling and drooling because he played in past Origin series wins (they now do the same for "Captain Fantastic" potato head Gallen for sneaking one series thanks mostly to Cronk's broken leg). No-one dared suggest that Stuart had been handed Murray's squad of thoroughbreds at their peak. Well done for taking aim at this overrated protected species of one. He is hopeless, self interested, arrogant and weak.
dillon lorraway
Guest
he is always blaming the refs or his players so the spotlight is not on himself . but soon his track record we catch up to him and people will realize that he is not a coach . you cant keep lying to yourself sticky.
joe stoykle
Guest
wow i just cant believe Stinky ol Pricky uses the same ol excuses with every club, I hope his manager gets 85% of his salary because he is like Dynamo he has fooled the raiders board with his snake oil. Stinky will walk out on Canberra use his autistic daughter as the excuse,Link up with the Dragoons and destroy that club ,Why cant he just bugger off back to rugby Yawnion he is TOXIC to rugby league Pricky you stink.
Steve
Guest
Just watch Papali when unleashed from the dour, boring, unimagintive coaching of Sticky and explodes for Queensland
JZ
Guest
Ross you are right, but if you dont respect the boss you have a little bludge to stick it to the man
ross
Guest
players should have a good look at themselves did/does Sticky miss all those tackles for instance and make all those mistakes- no- players need to be accountable for their performances the coach cannot go out their and do it for them. players are full time professional and to my knowledge are well prepared for upcoming matches- once the players run onto the field the coach can have very little impact on the performance as the work has been previously done- the players have to take control of the game based on the game plan and be able to also change the game plan which they are coached to do when it aint working. coaches are the scapegoats but players are the ones that prolong or end a coaches career at a club or in the nrl.
Sticky situation.
Guest
I think it's time to let him go, it will not get any better. Ricky's coaching record is terrible and he obviously is struggling already to get the team to believe in his coaching strategies. Certainly made it is easy for Milford to leave at the end of the season. Canberra deserve to do a lot better and as a supporter it is very difficult to watch.
Greg
Guest
You missed his greatest coaching achievement, losing the 2008 RLWC final to New Zealand. Kiwis will always have a special place in their hearts for Ricky following that one.
JZ
Guest
God dam it ! i wrote this same story last season about Ricky being the worst coach in the history of League, but for some reason roar would not allow it to be published. but im so glad it has now. right from his already built grand final roosters team to his bagging off Graham Langs loosing culture at the sharks & ricky benched his star half in Preston Campbell while Graham went on to win a GF at penrith, Dose ricky dislike short black Half backs it seems to be a trend. now milford cant wait to get out of their.... So what we have learn form Ricky's coaching is he is given a great team and runs them into the ground like a boagan with his cars then go's out get another one and dose it all again. surly the Raiders can be made a great team & i fell this could be Rickys last chance to redeem him self and his Coaching stats..
steve
Guest
I realised Stuart was a hoax coach when his team of Rooster stars got beat by Panthers and then Bulldogs in grand finals. Roosters had far superior teams but Stuarts coaching was so poor his star team got done and dusted. At the time the papers were all calling Stuart the next generation of coaches but I knew he wa propped up by a multi million dollar playing roster. The GF Roosters won they still looked poor against a Warriors team that somehow made the finals. He was turfed out by roosters...then cronulla...then the parra saga. Move him on Raiders before he destroys your team.
Ricky is no good
Guest
An imposter he certainly is. Bad coach and not much better when opening his mouth IMO considering his abuse of the test referee in Brisbane a few years ago and some of his on air gaffes with at best politically incorrect language.
ross
Guest
maybe others will give Mitchell Pearce a break and pick on Sticky Stuart instead.:-)
Ryan
Guest
Filthy when parra signed him, jumping with joy when he turned his back on us. Absolutely useless coach which is a shame because Canberra have some real talent going to waste with him calling the shots.
calum
Guest
don't say it! Don't even think it!
Ozziejoebujjere
Guest
Eagle Jock, the Plato of League blogs. Once again your deep insight into our beloved game is unparalleled. I will concede though, my old friend, that Scott Woodward is the least qualified league "guru" that contributes to this site. His league knowledge is terrible.
AJL
Guest
Stuart is at worst a symptom of broader issues, not the cause. Our board appears to believe making money off the myriad of clubs they own is more important, and treat the Raiders as a means to a free feed. All have impressive resumes, yet have NFI about running a football club. They, guided by former Chairman and CEO (back when the club nearly folded in 1991) John "Bonehead" McIntyre (he called himself boneheaded in an interview in 2012) hired Stuart. We're in the most competitive sporting market in Australia, with the table-topping Brumbies and AFL backed GWS doing their damndest to take as many supporters as possible, and the Raiders are seemingly determined to help them. Long term fans are giving up on the club, people who have supported the Raiders since they entered the comp, or since they were small children. The only way out is to sack the board, and since that's impossible I don't expect the Raiders to survive the decade.
Johnboy
Guest
Ricky is a kient...plain & simple