- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
No one can doubt Ricky Stuart’s passion. We love the way he watches most of the game from the sideline, rather than the coaches’ box, and needs to be in among the action.
We love how he celebrates each try with his team.
There is no doubt he is a good coach. However, what also can’t be doubted is a regular blip in the record of the teams he has coached.
Other than Parramatta, where he did not last a season, all his NRL teams have gone deep into the semi-finals when he starts coaching but then, unexpectedly, fallen away. The jury is still out on the Canberra Raiders this year but they are sitting in 10th spot, four points out of the eight with the regular season quickly coming to the business end.
If you look at the Roosters first, Stuart was the head coach from 2002 to 2006. The Roosters beat the Warriors in 2002 to take the title, lost the grand final in 2003 and 2004 and then fell to ninth and 14th in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Although the team had some roster changes over that period, the Roosters squad was strong on paper throughout his five-year tenure and his last two years there were disappointing.
(AAP Image/Action Photographics, Charles Knight)
He then took over at Cronulla, who finished 11th in 2007, lost the grand final qualifier to the Storm in 2008 and finished 15th in 2009 after the Sharks had a horror year marked by scandal after scandal. The Sharks’ 2008 result could be seen as an overachievement, with a strong pack of forwards led by Paul Gallen and Greg Bird perhaps not matched by their backline.
However they learnt how to win ugly and may have gone further if Greg Bird hasn’t been sacked by the club. The scandals hurt, but there’s no doubt those close wins didn’t continue into 2009.
After a break from club coaching to look after NSW, Stuart then took on a three-year coaching role at the Eels in 2013. The Eels had been the wooden spooners in 2012 so he inherited a below average roster. Unfortunately, the Eels won the spoon and Stuart broke his contract to join Canberra.
So, to the Raiders where he has been coach from 2014 to today, Canberra finished 15th in 2014, 10th in 2015 and suffered a tight preliminary final loss to Melbourne in 2016. Many thought that the Raiders, after a great finish to the 2016 season, would go on to win the premiership this year. A narrow win over the Dragons last weekend has kept them in the race, but they are on the brink of missing out in 2017.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
This is not all on Ricky Stuart’s shoulders and the dramas at the Sharks in 2009 were outside Ricky’s control. However, it’s clear that he can get teams to the point of success and then oversee a slide down the ladder with much the same roster.
This can only be put down to Ricky’s intensity. This intensity has led to the Sharks and Raiders climb the ladder significantly but not be able to back up the following year. Perhaps his coaching style can get teams up for one season before mental fatigue kicks in, impacting particularly in close games.
This is shown with Canberra who, despite winning only seven from 17 games this year, have a positive points differential.
If Canberra get on a roll, they can still make the semi-finals this year and, if they do, there will be a lot of teams eager not to play them. However, if they don’t make the semis, questions will again be asked about Ricky Stuart’s coaching.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.