http://www.sportsfan.com.au/Home/VideoonDemand/tabid/947/Default.aspx/?nvId=#676575Ricky Stuart can't take his time rebuilding the Raiders because "they haven't really looked like a first-grade team at all" lately, according to his former Roosters captain, Brad Fittler.
After joining the club in the off-season, 'Sticky' has Canberra sitting 15th on the ladder after a 54-18 thrashing by the Warriors at home.
Click here to watch Fittler talk about his former coach!
Should Cronulla overhaul the Raiders and send the club to the bottom of the ladder with just five rounds remaining, a Stuart-coached side would win the wooden spoon for a second straight season.
Stuart joined Parramatta for the 2013 season, told a dozen players their contracts would not be renewed for this year and bolted when offered a chance to return to the club where he had such a successful playing career.
Fittler, who won the 2002 grand final in Stuart's first year of coaching, expects – and says the Raiders need – a similar refresh.
"I'm sure he thinks there's better times ahead. He believes he's got to go through a similar process that he had to do at Parramatta," he said.
"You'd expect a clearout. You think about how Parramatta went this year, you don't need to say anything. The fact that a lot of players went, and other than Reni (Maitua), I don't think any of them are playing first grade.
"They need a cleanout, but he's under pressure and they've got to perform."
Anthony Milford, arguably Canberra's best player despite only turning 20 last month, will move to the Broncos in 2015 and there are rumours that veteran five-eighth Terry Campese could depart the club.
Youngsters Mitch Cornish and Jack Wighton provide hope for the future alongside key men Josh Papalii and Shaun Fensom, but Fittler says there is still much for Stuart to figure out in the remaining weeks as their lack of depth continues to show.
"They still need to win more games. What they've tossed up lately is quite atrocious, really," he said.
"There's plenty of other teams in the same boat. I watched Penrith run out against Canterbury on the weekend and they're a very limited team (but) they soldiered forward in the game as well.
"They (Raiders) have to be doing better, there's no doubt about that, regardless of who they're putting on the field at the moment. They're quite defenceless. The last couple of games they haven't really looked like a first-grade team at all."
Quizzed on his ex-mentor's declining results since the successful period with Fittler's champion Roosters team in the early 2000s, the former skipper refused to make an outright comment on Stuart's coaching capabilities.
"We had a very good footy team, a very good footy team."
Replies
Hindy praises Stuart so I thought this might even up the ledger.
Freddy speaks 'numbskull'...not English.
Freddy has an ice problem.
The Bondi boys take coke Alan.
Freddy can afford it too.
Yep, if Freddy thought Stuart was a capable coach, he'd have answered that question much differently.
Not too hard to read between the lines.
Yep, speaks fluent English if you ask me. Ricky is running out of time and excuses and any coach with that roostersteam could have won the comp (which translates to Stuart has nothing and never did)
What went wrong for RS? Don't know. But unlike Michael Hagan he deserves credit for his title.