NRL weigh up call on Stuart's post-match comments
The NRL is examining Ricky Stuart's post-match comments following Canberra's loss to Manly, as officials decide whether to add to the coach's $160,000 in career fines.
Stuart indicated several frustrations following the Raiders' 40-12 defeat at Brookvale, claiming he no longer understood NRL interpretations around obstructions.
The veteran coach also pointed to a lopsided set-restart and penalty count, despite what he claimed to be statistically similar play-the-ball speeds between both sides.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo sent an edict to clubs before the season, warning head office would be stricter on public comments relating to match officials.
The email claimed that comments from coaches amplified fan and media attention around decisions, which were often "differences of opinion".
Stuart appeared extremely careful with his words in a bid to avoid falling foul of the NRL on Sunday night.
He made a point not to explicitly refer to referee Grant Atkins during his press conference, when asked if he was unhappy with the whistleblower's performance.
"I'm not allowed to talk about the ref, but I hope Andrew Abdo has an answer for us all," Stuart said.
Stuart was one of the coaches who formed a committee with Abdo, head of football Graham Annesley and referee Ashley Kelin about rules over the summer.
Part of that discussion centred around interpretations for obstructions, with the NRL putting more onus on defenders making the correct decisions.
Stuart said that had seemingly "gone out the window", and he "wasted two days" on the committee, after Canberra had a try pulled back with the score 0-0.
The Raiders coach also claimed he saw inconsistencies in the way ruck infringements were awarded across the league.
"The six-agains that go against my poor buggers, I see those tackles every week by certain teams (and) nothing is done," Stuart said.
AAP understands the NRL were reviewing Stuart's press conference on Monday, with no call made on whether he had breached the rules.
Raiders Coach Ricky Stuart and Captain Jamal Fogarty speak to the media after the loss to Manly 📺https://t.co/RZXHl9GjUH Brought to you by Toyota Forklifts#WeAreRaiders pic.twitter.com/koBxdTXTgS
— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) March 23, 2025
Stuart has accumulated some $160,000 in fines since taking over as NRL coach at the Sydney Roosters in 2002.
The last of those came in 2022, when he was fined $25,000 and banned from coaching for a week for personal comments against then-Penrith forward Jaeman Salmon.
Meanwhile, it's understood the NRL were OK with referee Wyatt Raymond's decision to penalise Canterbury's Josh Curran for acting "against the true spirit of the game" by personating a match official.
Curran was penalised in the Bulldogs' win over Parramatta, after he called Matt Doorey as offside, prompting the Eel to pull out of a tackle.
It's believed the rare penalty came because Curran himself was in front of Canterbury's play-the-ball and standing in the defensive line, and therefore should have been out of play.
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