Coach Ricky Stuart has lashed out at the refereeing in Canberra’s gritty 26-14 NRL win over the Warriors, describing the contest as “disgraceful” and comparing it to rugby union.
A frustrated Stuart said he and NRL he were “planets” apart.
Stuart’s comments came after the Raiders survived Sunday’s testing battle against the Warriors to remain within striking distance of a top-four finish.
Canberra lost halfback George Williams to concussion early, and were down by eight points when star five-eighth Jack Wighton was sent to the sin-bin after half an hour.
Wighton’s exit prompted Stuart, his team caned 7-1 in the penalty count at that point, to angrily throw his water bottle out of the coach’s box.
“If we had put some lineouts in from when the ball went out, it would’ve been two rugby union games here in two days (after the Super Rugby AU game on Saturday night). Disgraceful,” Stuart said post-game.
Strike second-rower John Bateman suffered an elbow injury in the second half that sent a shiver through GIO Stadium.
However, led by unlikely two-try hero Semi Valemei and veteran Elliott Whitehead, the Raiders cemented fifth spot on the table, two points behind fourth-placed Parramatta with one round left in the regular season.
With a superior points differential, the Raiders can steal a qualifying-final berth should they defeat Cronulla and the Eels get upset by the Wests Tigers next weekend, however that failed to prevent Stuart from taking aim at the officials.
Stuart was particularly irate over the Wighton sin-binning, who was penalised for being offside and came after a number of infringements.
Not that he would raise his issues with head of football Graham Annesley.
“Graham Annesley is a really nice man. He’s been in the game for a long time but in regards to rugby league, Graham Annesley and myself, we are planets apart. Planets,” Stuart said.
“Thank god COVID’s in, I tell you, because we won’t get more than 6000 to these games.”
The Warriors, who lost captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to a hamstring injury in the second half, again showed plenty of ticker by taking it to Canberra early but couldn’t muster a late push.
Warriors centre Peta Hiku and counterpart Jarrod Croker traded tries inside a combative opening 15 minutes, before the contest exploded with a series of fiery exchanges centred around Lachlan Burr.
The visitors threatened to pull away with the game when Hiku nabbed his second and a third was on the offing, however a 90-metre Valemei try against the run of play proved the turning point.
A Hudson Young try six minutes later involving two kicks by Whitehead, completed a stunning turnaround and two-point halftime lead.
Whitehead was also instrumental in Canberra posting first points in the second period, intercepting a pass with the Warriors in attack that set up the second for Valemei before Nick Cotric completed the victory late.
