LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has expressed his frustration over the "awful" ruck officiating during Saturday's match against the Tigers, emphasizing that the Raiders will need to adapt their play if the standards persist in the upcoming NRL finals. The Raiders secured the minor premiership with a 24-10 victory at home, marking their first JJ Giltinan Shield win in 35 years.
Stuart voiced significant concerns during the post-match press conference. Reflecting on his team's performance against the Tigers, he acknowledged that they didn't play well and characterized the game as "messy."
When asked about the ruck officiating, he stated: "It was awful. I wasn't going to say anything but you've obviously seen it too. If the semi-final football is going to be that quality of ruck interpretation, we'll change the whole game."
He continued: "We won't be playing any type of free-flowing flamboyant football. And me saying that now will make everyone want to make the ground and the ruck real dirty, and make it a sh**ty spectacle. But if that's the way it's going to be, we'll change completely the way we play. And we've got the ability to."
Despite these challenges, Stuart dismissed suggestions that the Raiders would feel added pressure or expectations in the finals. With many predicting Canberra to finish last in 2025, he believes any outcomes in September will be a bonus following an already impressive season.
"People, I don't think, understand how good a football club it is," he remarked. "It's been a season where they've been so consistent all year, and getting a team up every week, having that individual up every week, is a great accolade and compliment to those boys. It's a big job; it's a long season, and they've done a wonderful job in mentally just having that edge each week."
Stuart concluded by highlighting the importance of the final experiences for the younger players on the team: "The mentality is whatever they get out of these final experiences now is just going to be an asset for the next three or four years. What the younger players will get out of this going forward is going to be such a benefit."