When Canberra coach Ricky Stuart talks, his players listen.
And coach and squad are hoping his latest dressing down can whip them back into shape after two NRL drubbings.
Stuart was embarrassed by the Raiders’ 40-16 loss to Cronulla on Sunday and didn’t hold back in his post-match review in the sheds at GIO Stadium.
It followed a similarly poor performance against Parramatta, who beat them 36-6 a week earlier.
Both matches were a far cry from their stunning 22-8 victory over Canterbury the previous round.
Playmaker Sam Williams said Stuart’s brutal but fair assessment of the game on Sunday left the team stinging but admitted it was something the Raiders needed to hear.
“It’s not like he’s gone out there and given us a spray – it was just honest,” he said.
“He’s an honest bloke, Ricky, and that’s the best part about him – he’s up front. Whether you’re going well or going poorly, he lets you know where you’re at and that’s all you can ask from a coach.
“We cop it on the chin and move on.”
Stuart could only think of about five players who performed well against the Sharks, including winger Jordan Rapana and centre BJ Leilua.
In response, he’s named an extended bench for Saturday’s home clash with the Wests Tigers – putting his forwards on notice with the addition of Clay Priest, Mitch Barnett and Jarrad Kennedy.
Williams said the finger couldn’t be pointed at any one player, and did not want to blame his fledgling partnership with recruit Aidan Sezer.
The 25-year-old Williams has been called in to replace Blake Austin four times already this season, with the star five-eighth injured again with a hamstring issue.
“It’s just about going out there with a good, positive, aggressive attitude,” Williams said.
“It’s round seven, and we’ve got an opportunity to turn it around this weekend.”
The Raiders will face an equally desperate Tigers outfit, who’ve lost five games in a row.
Williams is wary of how dangerous the joint venture can be, led by James Tedesco.
“He’s certainly a danger man for them,” he said.
“He has shown at the start of this competition that he’s one of the best fullbacks in the game. As a team, we need to make sure we try and nullify how good he can be.”
sham
Guest
When Croker is up against Konrad Hurrell he gets steamrolled. It is so predictable - he should defend as a winger against big centres or just not play against some sides.
bear54
That's because Croker has poor technique. Against smaller opposition he's fine because he's an arm tackler but this is flawed against the bigger guys who stiff arm him as they go past.
bear54
Thank you Turbo. Croker is a turnstile in defense and teams have been running through his channel for years.
Parrafan
Guest
Nah he should be playing origin. Way better centre than Jennings, Morris or Roberts... Those calls have gone quiet.
Joe
Roar Rookie
As mentioned by the first two posters Croker needs to do better in defence. Actually I think that Croker does well against certain types of centres and has trouble with others. He is up against Naiqama in this one and I think you'll find he'll be able to cover him quite well. Its the bigger more powerful centres he has trouble with like the Fergusons and the Takairangis because of his size and sometimes over reads the play because he is struggling to contain them. I think the Raiders should win this one comfortably.
Peter Mc
Guest
Stuart is a poor motivator
Oiler
Guest
Croker is a bit like Soward. Can be brilliant in attack but has his defensive struggles. It's hard to drop someone who can bring a lot of points but it's frustrating. Wighton needs to be at centre. Stuart is not their answer to a grand final one day. Canberra fans need some new hope. Geoff Toovey, Mick Potter or Ivan Cleary could be a good fit
turbodewd
Guest
They don't need to fire up....they need to fire Croker. His defence is, always has been, below par. He is slightly too small and always making the wrong read in defence. It happens regularly.