Canberra No.1 Chevy Stewart had a tough first half in the loss to Brisbane but his response after a challenge from coach Ricky Stuart revealed his character.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart and Gold Coast boss Des Hasler have had a heated disagreement over the refereeing in the Raiders' golden point win on Sunday night.
Canberra will deploy a new halves pair in their season-opening trip to Newcastle on Thursday night, when they will be out to avenge last year's finals defeat.
Canberra's Ricky Stuart says his side's NRL finals clash with Newcastle is one of the easiest he's ever coached, with the Raiders written off from the start.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has a brilliant record in the first week of NRL finals but it will be tested when the Raiders face red-hot Newcastle this weekend.
Kalyn Ponga has declared he's on track to play in Newcastle's do-or-die final against Canberra, with the Knights expecting his injured shoulder to be targeted.
Ricky Stuart has taken a swipe at South Sydney as their tumultuous campaign rumbles on, suggesting Jack Wighton could consider back-flipping on his move there.
Canberra will get "eaten alive" in their biggest clash of the NRL season so far if they don't tidy up completion-rate woes that have plagued them in recent weeks.
Coach Ricky Stuart says...
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart insists debutant Ethan Strange is ready for NRL football, saying the 18-year-old has similarities with Raiders greats of the past.
Someone should get Ricky Stuart on the phone and ask him to re-hire massage therapist Bob Griffin because the Raiders have never won a grand final without him. The 87-year-old, who massaged the Raiders for 23 years, still massages on game day at his local Queanbeyan Tigers Club.
As tensions continue to boil surrounding the NRL's collective bargaining agreement, Ricky Stuart has accused the players' union of using uninformed players.
