It is the three inescapable certainties of life: death, taxes and the rugby league community having a strong dislike for Ricky Stuart.
We have all read the articles, seen the news, and heard the rumours that Ricky Stuart is no good as a coach, he’s what’s wrong with the Raiders, he sent Parramatta into a tailspin, no one wants to go to Canberra, Terry Campese is in the way, etc.
I was an avid fan of the South Queensland Crushers and after their demise I haven’t realigned my allegiance with any NRL club. I don’t fly anyone’s colours and remain neutral. I am Switzerland in the world of rugby league.
However I find myself living and working in Canberra and find myself wandering into Canberra Stadium from time to time to see how the local club is faring.
Ricky Stuart has been labeled (unfairly I believe) as the destructor of Parramatta and apparently now he is doing the same to Canberra. However, I wandered into the chilly abyss on Monday night to watch the Men in Green throw themselves in front of the football semi trailer that is Brisbane. As many predicted they were mowed down like the light brigade.
And all around the league community everyone cried “rejoice!” Predictions about Stuart having lost all control of the Raiders were ringing true and everyone shrugged and said “that figures”.
However, there was something there that no one has mentioned. Something that has been present all season apart from the two hidings the Raiders received at the hands of Manly and the Warriors, and that is effort.
Yes good people it is true, I am leaving the trench and standing in no man’s land alone waiting to be bombarded as I declare that Ricky has got the Raiders on the right track.
Apart from the aforementioned two cricket scores, the Raiders have not lost by big margins. And yes Brisbane took them to task on Monday night but it took until the 30th minute for the first try to be scored and prior to this the game was even.
The Canberra Raiders are trying and they are trying hard. Ricky Stuart and his troops are clocking up the overtime, trying to get out of this dark place. That was on show against Brisbane for the first 30 minutes. They pushed Brisbane to the limits but it was a few simple errors that ended up turning the tide.
“So if there’s effort where are the results?” I hear you cry. It is simple, the Raiders just aren’t good enough. They are gutsy, they are playing for each other and for their coach Ricky has them busting their backsides, but they don’t have a game breaker outside of Anthony Milford. As we have seen if you can shut down Milford you shut down the Raiders.
Campese is trying but with all due respect to the big man he can’t change the course of a game. There are some solid performers in the backline with Messrs Jack Wighton and Jarod Croker, but on the whole the Raiders are a bunch of solid workhorses.
Good solid workhorses will be competitive and they will win a few games, but they won’t be able to match it with the teams laden with superstars – no matter how hard they try.
Stuart knows this, hence his attempts to lure game breakers like James Tedesco and Josh Mansour to the capital, but if players don’t want to come here then he just has to do the best with what he has.
And so I stand alone in the Ricky Stuart supporters corner. While I won’t be at the game next week I can assure you that win, lose or draw the Raiders will be trying their absolute best to notch up a win.
River Lad
Guest
Your tips are available to subscribers not to the public. The public only sees your (alleged) results after the event. Anyone who has read your comments on this forum knows you have run a vendetta against certain rugby league identities, particularly Ricky Stuart. But luckily for you, the moderator here protects you. Dream on, Mr Mitty!!!
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
River Lad , or whatever your real name is, I deal in FACTS and just like Ricky we are accountable by our record. Mine is available to the public BEFORE every match, in fact I do my early ratings every Tues after the teams are out and complete the staking generally on game day. Ricky's record is high profile and as he collects the high profile $s he is entitled to any comments based on facts. To say that I have an " outlandish vendetta" against identities in RL is just inaccurate and a cry of desperation. Please make the effort and look up my record, it is not an opinion but a fact, not a fantasy land that you seem to subscribe to.
Robert
Guest
Having been a Raiders fan since day 1 I have been through the highs and lows this greet club has to offer. We have had some great and not so great players run around in the lime green. IE Ricky Stuart himself , Brett Mullins , Mal Maninga, Rubin Wiki , Then the not so good Matt Orfford, Brett Atkins, Wayne Jensen just to name a few. But never Have I ever said that the coach or the players gave up Even in my opinon our worst coach D Furner never gave up, and for that I will always give the club credit. Last year everyone screamed Furner has too go and he did so they got rid of him and now we have Ricky he may not be the best coach but he seems like a hard working coach and that has to be a good start, and it is only his first yr at the club as coach. So I'm sure that with a few change's in cattle things will look up. We really need to give some players the big boot some due to past injurys like Terry Campese, it was the skys the limit for him until those to rotten injurys wrecked what should of been a great time for the club, we need to let him go but keep him around the club in some capacity. Josh McCrone needs to go hooker and stay there, Shillo while he has been a great servant to us for a few years his form at the moment is terrible same with TLL. But in saying that how do you replace these guys if no one wants to come to the club. A clean out sounds good if you have the cattle to replace them, but other then Mitch Cornish, who needs to come in now and start planning for next year. Stuart is a good coach but if we can't find a way to get players to come no coach now matter how good they are will turn this team around. There are a few players in the team that are playing to the best of there ability, but that is just not good enough for a side with really on one or two players I would consider superstars (Jarred Crocker and Anthony Millford) not saying we don't have some players that are ok. But hen again ok dose not win you enough games then again this is just my opinion. Raiders and Ricky 4 Life
The Doctor
Guest
One question all NRL fans should ask themselves. Would I swap my current coach for Ricky Stuart?
River Lad
Guest
When you can't beat the facts of someone's coaching record, you attack the messenger. No, I am not Ricky. Never met him. I am just someone who believes in fairness rather than the outlandish vendetta you run against identities in rugby league while always holding yourself out to be an expert. You remind me of the tipsters who ply their trade in the Sportsman. Always boasting of their winning tips AFTER the race. Never publish them to the world BEFORE they jump. I've read your articles here in recent years and almost every tip or opinion you've given before the event has been wrong. Walter Mitty had nothing on you, Scotty. Dream on, but remember that self-praise is worthless.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
River (You may be very be Ricky himself as you always take exception to my facts) Not only do you keep trying to market Ricky as a star coach and try and screw the real facts, but you have made a outlandish statement about my resume of which you would have no idea what i do and what I have done. As for my tips, they are published daily and the public record is available for everyone to see on the Champion Picks website. http://www.championpicks.com.au/blog/category/results/ but just in case you cannot find them our last 14 bets over 1 unit have gone undefeated: Our last 14 bets over 1 Unit 7 Panthers To WIN 1.7 $200.00 WON 8 Rabbitohs To WIN $1.83 $200.00 WON 8 Sea Eagles To WIN $1.48 $200.00 WON 9 Roosters HT/FT Double $1.65 $200.00 WON 10 Broncos To WIN $1.45 $200.00 WON 10 Tigers To WIN $2.05 $200.00 WON 11 Warriors To WIN $1.58 $300.00 WON 11 Broncos To WIN $1.77 $200.00 WON 11 Souths HT/FT Double $1.66 $200.00 WON 12 Panthers To WIN $1.68 $200.00 WON 12 Roosters Try 1st Points $1.55 $200.00 WON 12 Broncos HT/FT Double $2.55 $200.00 WON 12 Souths HT/FT Double $1.45 $200.00 WON 13 Roosters HT/FT Double $1.60 $200.00 WON
Jay Bee
Guest
He will if he sack Campese. He is a liability. Is Ricky blind or brain dead?
The Doctor
Guest
Raiders have a rubbish roster, can't sign any new players and a coach who's record shows that teams regress over time under his care. Sorry to say there is very little light at the end of the tunnel for the Raiders. Ricky may not have caused it but it's very hard to see him fixing it. He sure hasn't been able to fix things anywhere else.
River Lad
Guest
What facts did I get wrong? I said Ricky won 10 out of 11 games coaching Australia. And he did. 100% correct.
River Lad
Guest
Correction: Gibson had won two comps at the same age Stuart is today.
River Lad
Guest
Stuart has only been at Canberra for half a season, which isn't enough for anyone to make a fair assessment. Regardless of what anyone says, his coaching record is remarkable...a premiership, 3 grand final appearances, a series Origin win, and 10 from 11 internationals. He isn't the best coach of all time, but he is not in the bottom half, and his record, like him or not, is elite. Like most, I didn't like the way he left the Eels and that's undoubtedly a black mark on his record, but it doesn't erase his many victories. The jury is still out on him at Canberra. After all, when Jack Gibson was the same age as Ricky is now, he also had only one won premiership. Gibson coached at Souths for only a 48% winning rate and then went to Parra when he won three premierships.
MAX
Guest
River Lad, Scotty's statistical evidence seemed overwhelming. Your return of service would impress a Swiss master. Statistics aside, Rick's early payout would cause serious financial bruising. Is there any coach who could do a better job, taking to account Canberra's earlier close encounters?
Andrew
Guest
He's the Australia coach and Stuart failed to claim the world cup. It's good now because Ricky isn't the coach mate. Get your facts straight otherwise, I will be banned hahahahahahahahahaahaha
River Lad
Guest
Tim Sheens averaged 26% winning at the Cowboys from 1997 to 2001. Then he went on to coach the Tigers to a premiership and Australia.
Andrew
Guest
Another writer of the roar, he had the stats (statistics). For a few years (Cronulla, easts (his last season) and Parramatta he averages about 25% of winning games. I don't have the stats, but, on writer from the roar he had the stats. I believe he was a GURU I think. Ricky would be better suited at Under 20"s comp then the NRL comp.
Muzz
Guest
I can listen to Robbo talk footy all day.Ricky Stuart does, and always has, confused and annoyed the hell out of me when he talks footy.
Mushi
Guest
As a roosters fan I'm with you on the Robinson v Stuart position. Smith built that team, he played the long game of going with debutants and got fired 6 months in
Jimmy Korpun nem
Guest
Good on you ricky, just stick with your current positioning of players and get them to instill more determination and eagerness to win and they will deliver. He has good 3/4 and just need the players to trust in themselves and they will be some points coming their way. Kick out Furner and get Ricky to come up with his five year plan and can will have a good team. Don Furner need to be replaced by Ricky.
River Lad
Guest
The Raiders will come good. They are sleeping giants financially and the results will eventually transfer from off the field to on it.
River Lad
Guest
I agree absolutely. I hear the critics say that anyone could have coached the Roosters to a premiership because they had such a great team. That's just a cheap shot. The same could be said for Jack Gibson's Parramatta team which was full of superstars. When Bennett won the 1992 premiership he had something like 11 internationals in his Broncos team against Brian Smith's 2 or 3 at the Dragons. Would Bellamy have won premierships without Slater, Smith and Cronk? Stuart's win rate at Cronulla was 45% - better than Shane Flanagan's 44%. The Eels were wooden spooners the year before Stuart took over. Every coach at some stage in his career fails. Sheens had a win rate of just 26% in his 4 years at the Cowboys. He then went on to win a premiership with the Tigers. Wayne Bennett's win rate at the Knights is only 42%. Is he a bum? Stuart has a prickly character and people transfer their dislike of him personally to unfairly slag him professionally. Stuart's record as a club and representative coach is fantastic. 10 from 11 with Australia (91%). Last NSW coach to win an Origin. Origin win rate of 44% against Bellamy's 22%. Gutsy article, Geheimagent.