Canberra Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart is still at a loss to describe his team's inability to win a penalty count, despite the fact they snuck over the line in a final-minute thriller against the Cronulla Sharks on Thursday evening.
Only a late, last ditch and ad-lib try could get the Raiders over the line against the Sharks in a game where they were trounced in the penalty count.
Despite the NRL waring all coaches over criticising officials, Ricky Stuart asked whether his team were really as ill-disciplined as it was being made out.
“I think the penalty count was 7-2, ok fine if we're giving penalties away that's great but you can't tell me other teams don't give away penalties as well,” Stuart said during his post-match press conference.
“Todd (Smith) is a wonderful referee, I'm not having a crack at him, he's a wonderful ref. I hope I'm allowed to give him a rap.
“We're not that ill-disciplined. This team is not that ill-disciplined. I don't know what I can do as a coach because I don't go out and coach grubby tactics, I don't go out and coach to be ill-disciplined. Ask anyone that I coach.
“I'm just really proud. Everyone has seen what this club is about in that last minute and a half, everyone has seen what this club is built on.”
Stuart also used his press conference to question a disallowed try during the first half, where the Raiders were pulled up by bunker official Ashley Klein for an obstruction.
“As I said to some people last week, you can give vocab to whatever outcome you want,” he said.
“You can give the vocab to whatever outcome has been given on the field because I can give you vocab in regards to the last time we spoke about this that makes me sound right.
“I'm confused with it”.
The NRL's latest crackdown - a high tackle one - also began on Thursday, with Hudson Young sin binned for a shot during the game, with Stuart suggesting the new rules were not clear.
