Ricky Stuart
Encyclopedia
Ricky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series
. Stuart had previously been coach of the Blues, as well as the Australian national side
, and has coached National Rugby League
clubs, the Sydney Roosters
(taking them to three consecutive grand finals from 2002–2004) and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
A former international representative rugby league
and rugby union
player – a dual-code international – Stuart also played State of Origin
for New South Wales in the first Gould
era. At club level, Stuart was the half-back of the "Green Machine", the Canberra Raiders
team that won three premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994 and were runners-up in 1991 who were coached by Tim Sheens
. As a player Stuart was noted for his ability to throw long, spiralling passes to both the left and right sides of the field.
. Stuart's union career was with the Queanbeyan Whites
before being selected for the Wallabies
tour of Argentina in 1987. Stuart would later remark that he could have earned more playing union due to what he called "shamateaurism" (the act of Rugby teams making "under the table" payments to so called "amateur" players), than by moving back to his childhood game of league..
team in 1988, winning the club's player of the year award that season. He was a key member of the club's most successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, playing halfback inside a backline including legendary talents Laurie Daley
, Mal Meninga
and Gary Belcher
. Stuart won three premierships with the Canberra Raiders, playing 203 games and winning the Clive Churchill Medal
in 1990. In 1992 and 1993 he was again named the Raiders' player of the year and in 1993 Stuart won the Dally M Medal
for the Winfield Cup
's Player of the Year.
Ricky Stuart debuted in the 2nd test of the 1990 Kangaroo tour against Great Britain
in London in October 1990. His first test of the 94 tour was also the 2nd test. He was preceded both times by Allan Langer. His 1990 appearance saw him become Australia's 38th dual code rugby international, following Michael O'Connor and preceding Scott Gourley
. He played nine test matches for Australia
from 1990, touring with the Australian side to Great Britain and France in 1990 and 1994
. Stuart also played fourteen State of Origin
matches for New South Wales. He was named man-of-the-match in the second game of the 1990 series.
in 1999 and 2000.
and winning the premiership in his first year as coach. The following season he took the Roosters to the 2003 NRL grand final
but they lost to the Penrith Panthers
. The 2004 Stuart-coached Roosters side was also beaten in the Grand Final, but the team struggled in 2005 and 2006 despite the high calibre of the player roster. Stuart's contract was terminated and he left the Roosters two weeks before the end of the 2006 season.
as head coach of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks with a two year contract, which was then extended to the end of the 2011 playing season.
But on May 24, 2010, with 18 months left on his contract, Stuart announced his resignation from the end of the 2010 season, handing the job over to current Sharks assistant coach, Shane Flanagan
.
Despite the Sharks making the preliminary finals in 2008, Stuart's time with the club was marred by a horror year in 2009. Not only was the club in dire financial straits but the Cronulla Sharks club was also tarnished by media allegations about a 2002 group-sex incident involving former Sharks players, player Reni Maitua's dismissal after testing positive to drugs, removal of the captaincy from key player Paul Gallen
, accused of racist remarks despite evidence of his non-racist stance, several unsavoury incidents involving now-disgraced CEO Tony Zappia (including his assault of a female staff member and involvement in an insurance-fraud fan donation scandal).
Stuart has indicated that he wants to coach another NRL club in 2011.
. His coaching approach continued the Phil Gould
legacy of matching the Queensland passion by focussing the NSW players' pride in the jumper and achievements of those who have worn it before. Although Stuart only coached the NSW side for just one series, the Blues managed to win the series 2-1 after having lost the first match in high drama. On November 17, 2010 Stuart was appointed as the state's first full-time coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team
for two years with a get-out clause for the 2012 series should Stuart return to NRL coaching. Stuart remains as the last man to ever win a State of Origin series for New South Wales with Queensland having dominated ever since.
Stuart coached the Blues for the 2011 series, which was lost to the Maroons by two games to one. Stuart, however, achieved his promise that the Blues would win at least one game that series, that being Game II. The Blues' win in Game II brought belief amongst the NSW media and fans that the dark times of the past five years would soon come to an end but all that belief was for nothing as New South Wales were humiliated convincingly in the third and deciding Origin match by a scoreline of 34–24.
, replacing Wayne Bennett
after Australia's loss in the 2005
Tri-Nations
final to New Zealand by a scoreline of 24-0. This meant that Stuart had to stand down as coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team. Stuart enjoyed success with the Kangaroos: winning the Anzac Tests of 2006 and 2007, as well as the 2006 Tri-Nations
. In addition, at the end of the 2007 season, the team won a one-off Test against New Zealand.
At the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
the Kangaroos dominated their opposition and Ricky Stuart took the team undefeated to the final against New Zealand. Despite their favouritism, the Kangaroos lost 20–34. Following an outburst at officials after the game Ricky Stuart stood down his position as Australian coach and was handed a $20,000 fine.
final to New Zealand, 34–20. Afterwards he was reported to be so incensed by the defeat that he verbally attacked Geoff Carr
, the Chief Executive of Australian Rugby League, claiming that tournament organizers and match officials conspired to cause the Australian loss. The next morning he had a chance meeting with Ashley Klein, who refereed the final, and Stuart Cummings, England's director of referees, at their hotel. He is reported to have verbally abused both officials in front of a number of witnesses, calling Klein a cheat, and of being physically and aggressively intimidating.
2010 State of Origin series
The 2010 State of Origin series was the 29th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules...
. Stuart had previously been coach of the Blues, as well as the Australian national side
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
, and has coached National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
clubs, the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(taking them to three consecutive grand finals from 2002–2004) and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
A former international representative rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player – a dual-code international – Stuart also played State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
for New South Wales in the first Gould
Phil Gould
Phil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast...
era. At club level, Stuart was the half-back of the "Green Machine", the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
team that won three premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994 and were runners-up in 1991 who were coached by Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He currently coaches the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League and in 2009 was appointed coach of the Australian national team, the Kangaroos...
. As a player Stuart was noted for his ability to throw long, spiralling passes to both the left and right sides of the field.
Early years
Stuart had originally played rugby league as a child and his father was a prominent member of Canberra's football community but he took up rugby union while attending St Edmund's CollegeSt Edmund's College, Canberra
St Edmund's College, is a private, Catholic, day school for boys, located in Griffith, a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The college was established in 1954 by the Christian Brothers as St Edmund's War Memorial College...
. Stuart's union career was with the Queanbeyan Whites
Queanbeyan Whites
The Queanbeyan Whites are a rugby union team based in Queanbeyan, New South Wales.-Club history:The Queanbeyan Whites were established in 1954, joining the ACTRU Competition in 1955...
before being selected for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
tour of Argentina in 1987. Stuart would later remark that he could have earned more playing union due to what he called "shamateaurism" (the act of Rugby teams making "under the table" payments to so called "amateur" players), than by moving back to his childhood game of league..
Canberra Raiders
Stuart then switched codes to league and joined the Canberra RaidersCanberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
team in 1988, winning the club's player of the year award that season. He was a key member of the club's most successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, playing halfback inside a backline including legendary talents Laurie Daley
Laurie Daley
Laurie Daley OA is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former player of Indigenous Australian descent. He represented Australia on 26 occasions and has since been named as one of the nation's finest players of the 20th century...
, Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...
and Gary Belcher
Gary Belcher
Gary Belcher is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former player of the 1980s and '90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative goal-kicking fullback, he played club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Souths and in the NSWRL...
. Stuart won three premierships with the Canberra Raiders, playing 203 games and winning the Clive Churchill Medal
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
in 1990. In 1992 and 1993 he was again named the Raiders' player of the year and in 1993 Stuart won the Dally M Medal
Dally M Medal
The Dally M Medal is the premier individual award in the Australian rugby league competition, which is given to the player voted by sports commentators as the best and fairest in the competition for that year....
for the Winfield Cup
Winfield Cup
The Winfield Cup was an Australian rugby league trophy awarded to the winner of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership's Grand Final from 1982 to 1994, and to the winner of the Australian Rugby League Grand Final in 1995...
's Player of the Year.
Ricky Stuart debuted in the 2nd test of the 1990 Kangaroo tour against Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
in London in October 1990. His first test of the 94 tour was also the 2nd test. He was preceded both times by Allan Langer. His 1990 appearance saw him become Australia's 38th dual code rugby international, following Michael O'Connor and preceding Scott Gourley
Scott Gourley
Scott Robert Gourley is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union player - An inspirational player who had absolutely dominated, a terrible day for Australian sport when this sportsman retired - a dual code international...
. He played nine test matches for Australia
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
from 1990, touring with the Australian side to Great Britain and France in 1990 and 1994
1994 Kangaroo Tour
The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...
. Stuart also played fourteen State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
matches for New South Wales. He was named man-of-the-match in the second game of the 1990 series.
Bulldogs
Stuart retired from first grade after playing 40 games for the Canterbury BulldogsCanterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in 1999 and 2000.
Sydney Roosters
Stuart began his first grade coaching career in 2002 with the Sydney Roosters, taking over from Graham MurrayGraham Murray
Graham Murray is an Australian rugby league player and coach. Murray is currently the High Performance Unit Director of Coaching at the Newcastle Knights.-Playing career:...
and winning the premiership in his first year as coach. The following season he took the Roosters to the 2003 NRL grand final
2003 NRL grand final
The 2003 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding match of the 2003 NRL season. In what was a contest of Sydney's east versus west, defending premiers and match favourites, the Sydney Roosters played against minor premiers and underdogs, the Penrith Panthers...
but they lost to the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. The 2004 Stuart-coached Roosters side was also beaten in the Grand Final, but the team struggled in 2005 and 2006 despite the high calibre of the player roster. Stuart's contract was terminated and he left the Roosters two weeks before the end of the 2006 season.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
In 2007 Stuart took over from Stuart RaperStuart Raper
Stuart Raper is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach. He has since become a sideline commentator for the NRL with Foxsports...
as head coach of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks with a two year contract, which was then extended to the end of the 2011 playing season.
But on May 24, 2010, with 18 months left on his contract, Stuart announced his resignation from the end of the 2010 season, handing the job over to current Sharks assistant coach, Shane Flanagan
Shane Flanagan
Shane Flanagan is an Australian professional rugby league football coach. He was appointed assistant coach of NRL team Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the top position when former coach Ricky Stuart resigned on 20 July 2010.Flanagan played SG Ball, Jersey Flegg...
.
Despite the Sharks making the preliminary finals in 2008, Stuart's time with the club was marred by a horror year in 2009. Not only was the club in dire financial straits but the Cronulla Sharks club was also tarnished by media allegations about a 2002 group-sex incident involving former Sharks players, player Reni Maitua's dismissal after testing positive to drugs, removal of the captaincy from key player Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League. Gallen's position of choice is lock and occasionally at Prop. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative...
, accused of racist remarks despite evidence of his non-racist stance, several unsavoury incidents involving now-disgraced CEO Tony Zappia (including his assault of a female staff member and involvement in an insurance-fraud fan donation scandal).
Stuart has indicated that he wants to coach another NRL club in 2011.
State of Origin
In 2005, Stuart was appointed coach of the New South WalesNew South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
. His coaching approach continued the Phil Gould
Phil Gould
Phil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast...
legacy of matching the Queensland passion by focussing the NSW players' pride in the jumper and achievements of those who have worn it before. Although Stuart only coached the NSW side for just one series, the Blues managed to win the series 2-1 after having lost the first match in high drama. On November 17, 2010 Stuart was appointed as the state's first full-time coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
for two years with a get-out clause for the 2012 series should Stuart return to NRL coaching. Stuart remains as the last man to ever win a State of Origin series for New South Wales with Queensland having dominated ever since.
Stuart coached the Blues for the 2011 series, which was lost to the Maroons by two games to one. Stuart, however, achieved his promise that the Blues would win at least one game that series, that being Game II. The Blues' win in Game II brought belief amongst the NSW media and fans that the dark times of the past five years would soon come to an end but all that belief was for nothing as New South Wales were humiliated convincingly in the third and deciding Origin match by a scoreline of 34–24.
Australia
In December 2005 Stuart was appointed as coach of Australian national rugby league teamAustralian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
, replacing Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett (rugby league coach)
Wayne James Bennett AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Newcastle Knights of the NRL...
after Australia's loss in the 2005
2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations
New Zealand 38 defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 (B. Tate 2, M.Gasnier 2, M. King, A. Johns...
Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
final to New Zealand by a scoreline of 24-0. This meant that Stuart had to stand down as coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team. Stuart enjoyed success with the Kangaroos: winning the Anzac Tests of 2006 and 2007, as well as the 2006 Tri-Nations
2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations
The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the...
. In addition, at the end of the 2007 season, the team won a one-off Test against New Zealand.
Controversies
At the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
the Kangaroos dominated their opposition and Ricky Stuart took the team undefeated to the final against New Zealand. Despite their favouritism, the Kangaroos lost 20–34. Following an outburst at officials after the game Ricky Stuart stood down his position as Australian coach and was handed a $20,000 fine.
World Cup 2008 Controversy
Stuart's Australian team lost the 2008 Rugby League World Cup2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
final to New Zealand, 34–20. Afterwards he was reported to be so incensed by the defeat that he verbally attacked Geoff Carr
Geoff Carr
Geoff Carr is the CEO of the Australian Rugby League as well as the New South Wales Rugby League. He is also a retired rugby league footballer, having played first grade in the NSWRL premiership with the St. George Dragons during the 1970s and reached the 1971 grand final with them.Carr was...
, the Chief Executive of Australian Rugby League, claiming that tournament organizers and match officials conspired to cause the Australian loss. The next morning he had a chance meeting with Ashley Klein, who refereed the final, and Stuart Cummings, England's director of referees, at their hotel. He is reported to have verbally abused both officials in front of a number of witnesses, calling Klein a cheat, and of being physically and aggressively intimidating.
| Ricky Stuart – Coaching Results by Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Team | Year | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | Finals Series |
| Sydney Roosters | 2002 | 28 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 71% | NRL Premiers |
| 2003 | 27 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 70% | Runners-up (lost Grand Final to Penrith Panthers Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan... ) |
|
| 2004 | 27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 78% | Runners-up (lost Grand Final to Bulldogs) | |
| 2005 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 46% | – | |
| 2006 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 33% | – | |
| Cronulla Sharks | 2007 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 42% | – |
| 2008 | 25 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 71% | Preliminary finalists (lost to Melbourne Storm Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria.... in the preliminary final) |
|
| 2009 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 21% | – | |
| Career | 203 | 112 | 1 | 90 | 55% | ||
External links
- Stuart Appointed Kangaroos Coach Australian Rugby League
- Sydney Roosters Profile Sydney Roosters Rugby League 2006
- National Rugby League Profile National Rugby League Home
- Ricky Stuart Rugby League Tables & Statistics
- State of Origin / New South Wales Players Rugby League Tables & Statistics