Ricky Stuart is out of the running to replace Brad Fittler as NSW Blues coach after his club side, the Canberra Raiders, insisted he should focus on returning them to the finals next year.
Stuart had widely been considered the man most likely to fill the role, which would have meant juggling his NRL head coaching responsibilities with leading the Blues against Billy Slater's Queensland in next year's Origin series.
But Canberra chief executive Don Furner told the NSW Rugby League on Wednesday that Stuart would instead concentrate on his day job with the Raiders, who he guided to a narrow 30-28 loss to Newcastle in the first week of this...