Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says that despite being involved in a committee designed to crack down on players diving for penalties, he still doesn't understand the NRL's interpretation of obstruction penalties.
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03-25, 2025Stuart claims the NRL has abandoned its zero-tolerance approach just three rounds into the season after a try was disallowed in Canberra's 12-40 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles on Sunday. In the 20th minute of the game, Seb Kris broke through the Sea Eagles' defense and touched down, in what looked like it should have been the first try of the match.
However, the refereeing crew ruled the play invalid after Canberra forward Corey Horsburgh made slight contact with Sea Eagles halfback Daly Cherry-Evans. Manly captain Cherry-Evans initiated contact with Horsburgh before chasing after the play. Raiders lock Morgan Smithies was hit by Haumole Olakau'atu after passing the ball, and it was this pass that led to Kris's try.
Canberra was subsequently penalized for the contact with Cherry-Evans, and Horsburgh was later sent off for a professional foul, while Manly scored 22 consecutive points while Horsburgh was off the field. Stuart and other prominent coaches were members of a committee, including NRL management, that met to discuss the rules in the summer. But he said the agreed-upon interpretation has "gone out the window."
Stuart said Sunday's game proved his trip to Sydney for the rules summit was "a waste of two days." He said: "Twenty minutes in, we have no football, we get an opportunity near halfway, we score a wonderful try. It's really hard to coach when you don't know the rules, you don't know the interpretation, because I haven't got a clue." Stuart appeared to imply that if Smithies was a key playmaker, the hit on him would have been penalized differently. He said: "My ball player gets hit after he passes the ball. If it's a couple of other players, I know who gets the penalty. But that's my player. But the whole game changed there. But something's changed this week, and I have a fair idea [why]."
