Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart praised his young team's maturity after their thrilling 29-28 win over Manly.
The match may have served up a thrilling golden point ending, but Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was calm and full of reflection following his side's 29-28 Round 1 win over Manly at Brookvale.
"I don't care how close it is mate, as long as we win," Stuart said to open his first post match press conference of 2026.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first half in wet conditions, the Raiders showed plenty of grit and resolve to surge back into the match and take a commanding lead, before being forced to withstand a desperate Manly fightback with two tries in the final eight minutes.
Describing it as a composed and 'mature' performance from his young side, Stuart singled 22-year-old halfback Ethan Sanders for plenty of praise after the match.
"There was more pressure on him tonight than any other player on the field," Stuart said of Sanders who played just two NRL matches for the Raiders in 2025 after a highly-publicised signing from Parramatta.