Ricky Stuart is set to sign a 2 year contract extension at the Raiders.
In 2014 they finished 15. In 2015 they were ranked as having the easiest draw and still missed the 8, finishing 10th (2pts above finishing equal 11th with 4 other teams)
In 2016 they again have been ranked as having the easiest draw. Anything but a top 8 finish surely would be the final nail in the coffin of the biggest coaching myth in the game, but Raiders management feel they need to lock him up early before his current contract expires and even before any results of 2016 have unfolded. What's the rush?
Which other clubs would be trying to poach Stuart for 2017? None. Dumb move Canberra.
John Fordham, Stuarts manager has done an incredible job to keep this guy employed for so long and keep the myth alive that he can coach, a super coach at that.
Replies
I reckon they'll make the finals next year.
Anything less would be a complete failure.
A NSW cup team could make the 8 with the draw they have been gifted.
I think a lot of what they do is going to come down to Austin. I think you already saw towards the end of last year that teams were finally wising up to his show and go, and the question is does he have another string to his bow? But I think it should be judged as Stuart's testing year - he's had two years there now, he's had the chance to decide which players should stay or go, and to recruit new players with a pretty unencumbered salary cap. You'd have to say that his side's biggest question mark has been their defence and really as a coach you need to step up and accept responsibility for that facet of the game more than anything, because in the end that comes down to your structures and how much belief your players have,.
Stuart is a knob. I hate to sound like an elitist, but the only reason why he gets by in the NRL is because much of what he says in press conferences is pre-rehearsed and the average John Everyman swallows it. For example, in the first press conference following round 1 this year, he opened by saying something to the effect "every other coach this weekend has said X about their teams performance, but I say Y". What this shows is that he is conscious of how the other coaches present/ are perceived and is keen to distinguish himself, even when he is not asked to. He also refers to himself in the third person (again showing he contemplates how he is perceived) and constantly justifies short comings before they materialise. For example, he rubbishes his own playing stocks to justify poor results, even future poor results, and tries to promote confidence in the bigger picture, well in advance of people seriously questioning him, by saying things like "I'm not worried about my job because I know the board is 100% behind me and it's going to take 5 years. Everyone just has to be patient". Then after the shit results and says " I've been saying all along we would struggle this year" etc. I hope he dissolves after Canberra sack him.
one thing I will say though, his eye for good recruitments is solid.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next