Ricky Stuart owed an apology by NRL world after transforming Raiders from wooden spoon favourites to title hopes
Ricky Stuart has bagged refs, snarled at journalists and angrily thrown plastic bottles in to the bleachers - and it's time we all returned him some gratitude and an apology.
The Raiders coach often finds himself public enemy number one, but his achievements in 2025 are a reminder this prickly pear is also an ingenious mentor who can produce a mean footy team.
And while it may not be obvious to us outsiders, it also highlights his massive contribution to the game, and we're not talking about all the new NRL offices he funds with breach fines.
Despite beginning the season as friendless outsiders, Stuart has transformed a Raiders side that was wooden spoon favourites in to bona fide premiership frontrunners.
And while Cameron Ciraldo has done a bang-up job at Canterbury and Kristian Woolf has worked wonders creating a Dolphins team that can score from the carpark, all signs point to one thing:
If Stuart's titanic deed doesn't win him the Coach of the Year award, then it would be an absolute disgrace.