Being the optimistic, understanding type, I’ve been willing to give Ricky Stuart until mid-2015 to reverse the fortunes of the Canberra Raiders.
After witnessing last weekend’s post-match presser, I’m no longer certain he’ll make it that far.
As an amateur workplace psychologist, I’ve witnessed several senior colleagues slowly crumble under the weight of relentless pressure in the publishing and film production industries.
There are few things as demoralising as coming to the realisation that the person you’ve been looking to for guidance doesn’t have the answers themselves. You’re often left with only two choices – scramble to foster other workplace alliances to keep things afloat, or go down with the ship.
I’m not privy to the inner workings of Canberra Raiders HQ, but the demeanour of their coach after a fifth straight loss – one which ended a 14-year run on home turf against St George Illawarra – was not pretty.
Let’s forget the words for a second and focus on the delivery.
Stuart looks like a man who’s finally come to terms with the enormity of the task in front of him, and doesn’t like what he sees. The voice is shot, the face is crimson, and the eyes are just a few yards short of the thousand mile stare.
Stuart is a figure for whom the term ‘haters gonna hate’ seems insufficient, but it would take a pretty cold-hearted hater to witness that husk of a man front the cameras and not feel at least a small shred of empathy.
A lot of rugby league fans, and quite a few Raiders ones, are determined to dance on the grave of Stuart’s coaching career. With very little to show from his past five years as an NRL coach, it’s almost as if his demise has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Stuart isn’t helping himself with some frankly bizarre decisions at the selection table.
These decisions include but are not limited to: playing rookie halfback Mitch Cornish for 20-minute stints in losing causes without ever letting him run the team; utilising gun prop Paul Vaughan in so many different ways that he’s barely been able to find rhythm; Bill Tupou. So help me God, Bill bloody Tupou.
But he hasn’t been helped by the fact that the Raiders of 2013 lost such talent as Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Sandor Earl and Joel Thompson, and only signed one semi-established first grader in Lagi Setu – a second rower who’s spent the entire season with NSW Cup feeder team Mounties.
There’s also the Raiders’ propensity for capitulations of the highest magnitude, rivalled in 2014 only by the Wests Tigers’ pitiful efforts against the Cowboys and Roosters over the past fortnight.
Saturday’s 34-16 scoreboard against the Dragons might not look like a capitulation on paper, but the manner in which the Raiders folded after leading 16-12 with 35 minutes to go was all too familiar.
Three minutes later, half the Raiders team watched Gareth Widdop casually crab across field before throwing Dugan through a saloon passage to the tryline. Edrick Lee later had a dainty leap rather than concerted effort at a Benji Marshall cross-field kick that landed in the arms of Jason Nightingale for another try, while Bill Tupou – Bill bloody Tupou – didn’t know if he was coming, going or staying in either attack or defence.
To top things off, fill-in fullback Jordan Rapana, one of the side’s best performers in his two games in lime green, suffered a fractured skull trying to prevent another Dragons try.
No wonder the coach looks like he’s about to blow a gasket. Fans aren’t doing it much better.
Mid-2015 feels a long way away. I hope we all make it there in one piece.
Don
Guest
So how about games 1 in both the 1990 and 1994 Kangaroo tours where langer was selected over stuart, with the likes of meninga, daley, clyde etc around him - and Australia lost them both. Stuart was the key difference in both of those tours and played a pivotal role in our victories over the poms - way back when those international fixtures were competetive. Stuart not only compared with langer but was better than him in every regard of the game except for short kicking. He dominated langer in both kangaroo tours and all origin series between 1990 and 1994 (which NSW won 4 from 5 with stuart as no.7) and they enjoyed some fierce rivalries in club matches during the first half of the nineties. To suggest he isnt comparable to langer is one eyed, inaccurate and frankly laughable.
Don
Guest
"He has 4 Origin players/internationals – Josh Papalii, David Shillington, Terry Campese, Brett White" Ricky himself has more chance of playing for NSW or Australia than Campese and White do. Shillo played himself out of a rep spot with poor form last year. The raiders squad is seriously deficient in almost all key areas - there isnt a single coach or combination of coaches that could have taken the blokes we have out there to a top 8 finish this year.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
Penrith don't have any origin stars or rep players and look at them
Geoff the optimist from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Shillington said they have some players in the backs (Lee and Wighton) WHO WILL BECOME marquee players over the next 12 to 24 months.Granted Stuart also needs to take responsibility for how poorly the side is travelling but it is evident at the moment the squad is 2 or 3 quality players short to make them competitive. The obvious issue is no one was recruited at the end of last season to take the place of Dugan and Ferguson. And the replacing players of this calibre is not easy. Of the Raiders players who have played rep fooball Campese's form has been consistently poor, Papalii has only started to show some good form in the past few games (he carried injuries for much of the season) and Shillington himself didn't show much until the second half of the season (if memory serves me neither Papali or Shillington was selected. for Qld or Australia) when he strung together some strong games before suffering a season ending injury. The Raiders really only have two players who would have cracked a rep team on form in Croker and Fensom and possibly Milford (although his form of late has been very inconsistent).
The eye
Guest
Pardon ?? Shillington,contrary to Stuart,says they already HAVE the quality players on the roster..Stuart says they need to buy marquee,Shillo says they have marquee..and yes its therefore more about raising the performance of the players that they currently have..which is the coachs responsibility-and less about Stuarts belief that the losses wont stop until more marquees are bought...dont like to fire rude shots Geoff,but thats total contradiction..
Geoff the optimist from Bruce Stadium
Guest
If you bothered to read the article in full Shillington was actually alluding to the fact that the Raiders already had a couple of potential superstars in Jack Wighton and Edrick Lee. You can add them to rep or potential re players such as Shillington himself, Papali, Fensom and Croker. Paul Vaughan also has shown he has a great future in the forwards and could be a potential rep player. I suppose you can also throw Campese in there as well but he has been a shadow of the player he was. In the article on the NRL.com website Shillington also pointed to the fact that it was going to require more than attracting a couple of marquee recruits to lift the performance of the team - it will require a lift in performance from the rest of the existing squad as well. I don't think he was contradicting Stuart here - just honestly pointing out that the rest of the squad had to shoulder some of the blame for the poor performances this season. Shillington also credited Stuart as raising standards off the field in terms of player behaviour in contrast to the previous season with the cancerous behaviour of Dugan and Ferguson. Brett White has also made similar comments elsewhere. Watching the Raiders this year it appears that they are trying their guts out but their confidence is shot. As an example in the past two weeks they have been in front at half time but have somehow lost control of the game. They seem to have forgotten how to close games out. Stuart was suggesting that players such as Dugan and Ferguson would have gotten them over the line in the past. The Raiders lack those X factor players that can mean the difference between winning and losing such as a Jarryd Hayne for the Eels or a Dugan or Morris from the Dragons. At least they have been more competitive more recently.The Raiders appear to have found a full back in Rapana only to lose him with a fractured skull. He was making some useful return metres and showed lots of enthusiasm and aggression similar to Tedesco who they were trying to recruit from the Tigers. Maybe they have found a suitable replacement for Milford at a bargain basement price. The selectors are giving young Jeremy Hawkins a go in the centres this week and have put Wighton to full back. Hopefully Mitch Cornish will get more game time in the next few weeks. Also interesting to see that Campese wasn't picked this week. Let's face it the season is shot so Stuart may as well experiment with a view to next year. He signed Rapana for 2015 and hopefully he will give Baptiste a contract as well to give some depth in the hooker position. The main problem has been in the halves with the loss of form of Campese. Perhaps Cornish and McCrone can form a useful partnership in the last 3 games.
sham
Guest
I think we should judge things this time next year. The Raiders defend poorly on the edges and blaming the wingers is unfair. The inside players should direct the slide not the wingers. Ricky should be able to fix that. If he doesn't then a spoon next year may also be on the cards
Tim Gore
Expert
Totes
Muzz
Guest
A cat got your tongue ? : )
Tim Gore
Expert
Tim Gore
Expert
I reckon you might be onto something there.
Tim Gore
Expert
I'm sorry, that comment can not stand. Albo, when you cal Ricky Stuart a "much overrated player" it instantly renders everything else you have to say on the matter as bollocks. Ricky Stuart was one of the best half backs I've ever seen. His kicking and passing was only equalled by Peter Sterling and Andrew Johns (on Joeys best days - Joey was a better running player). His generalship and marshaling of his teams was only matched by Lockyer and Sterling. Ricky's Dally M Medal, Rothmans Medal, Clive Churchill Medal, 3x Grand Final winners medals, multiple state of origin triumphs and World Cup triumphs also clearly support this. He wasn't just good, he was great.
Muzz
Guest
Kris - As a Raiders fan, would it bother you if the team lived and trained in Sydney but played their home games as per usual in the nations capital?
The eye
Guest
David Shillington 'responds' to Ricky's wail in an interview on the NRL homepage..looks like he's lost the dressing room..
Charles NSW
Guest
The key factor in employing a coach is to have a plan in place for all to follow. This plan should allow for problems that could detract from their progress including the quality of players they have on their roster. All coaches should know this before signing up. Therefore Ricky Stuart should not be complaining to the public but to the people who hired him if there are problems he may not have seen. In a nutshell all coaches should only be sacked if they do not follow the plan as required.
dubblebubble
Guest
He may be struggling as a coach but as a player Ricky was an absolute genius. One of the best halves of all time.
Tom
Guest
Gold :)
Parrafan
Guest
Not saying they are any good, just the majority of the above players have played at least 9-10 games of first grade this year with a portion of their salary paid by Eels. And Smith whilst a walking zombie is still able to tackle hard all day.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Pomoz Spot on mate. Just for the record he is screaming because he has no rep players: He has 4 Origin players/internationals – Josh Papalii, David Shillington, Terry Campese, Brett White – plus Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker, who were named as 18th men for NSW in matches this year. Oh, and the NRL most exciting young talent Anthony Milford. BTW, The ONLY Origin players in the Panthers team on Mon is Soward (3 games 2011) and Jamal Idris (1 game 2010)
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
I am not one of those who wants to kick Ricky, but I have an observation for him. if he continues to say "we can't win", "these boys are trying hard but they are not good enough", he will damage the self confidence of the players and get the results such comments are pointing to. He is providing them with a ready made excuse to fail. Ricky, you need to think a bit more deeply about what you say, I don't think your comments are helping.