'Don't give a sh*t': Ricky Stuart rages in angry post-match spray

·Sports Reporter

29 April 2021 at 9:06 pm·2-min read

Hudson Young (pictured right) devastated after a loss and coach Ricky Stuart (pictured left) speaking to the media. — The Canberra Raiders (pictured right) conceded eight penalties and ended up losing to the Rabbitohs, which prompted coach Ricky Stuart (pictured left) to rage. (Getty Images)

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has unleashed after his team's disastrous penalty count ultimately cost them the match in their Thursday night clash to the Rabbitohs.

The Raiders were neck-and-neck with the Rabbitohs until they fell 34-20 in a nail-biting match finish in Canberra.

'SERIOUS THOUGHT': Sam Burgess at centre of comeback bombshell

'SAD FOR THE GAME': Veteran NRL referee's shock retirement

But a lopsided 8-1 penalty count against Canberra and Jack Wighton being called back for two tries ultimately cost the Raiders.

The calls in the last 10 minutes proved decisive, as Souths kicked a late penalty goal to go 14 clear despite finishing the game with a man in the sin-bin.

This prompted Stuart to claim he would speak to referee boss Jared Maxwell over his team's heavy penalty count this season.

“I will but this has been happening a lot this year to us,” a clearly frustrated Stuart said.

“I look like the whinger, which I don’t really give a sh*t about being labelled the whinger.

“But when you get a game out there where it’s eight to one in penalties, I just think that probably needs a discussion.”

Stuart hits out at obstruction interpretation

Stuart also hit out at the obstruction rule and claimed common sense had gone out the window in deciding these rulings.

The first involved Benji Marshall as he was first ruled to be obstructed when Emre Guler stopped in the line.

The second involved Wighton pinged for running behind Corey Harawira-Naera three minutes later.

While Stuart praised Marshall's gamesmanship as "smart", he wasn't impressed with the rulings.

"There was no way in the world they were going to tackle either of those players there," Stuart said.

Benji Marshall (pictured) running the ball during the round eight NRL match between the Canberra Raiders. — Benji Marshall (pictured) during the round eight NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at GIO Stadium, on April 29, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images) (Mark Nolan via Getty Images)

"Anybody with a bit of common sense in regards to rugby league knows they were two tries.

"While ever that type of interpretation is in the game it will be a blight on the game. We've known that for a few years.

"You can't run forward and try and tackle someone in front of you, and not try and tackle the person with the football."

Watch 'Mind Games', the new series from Yahoo Sport Australia exploring the often brutal mental toil elite athletes go through in pursuit of greatness:

with AAP

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.