<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>341021</docID> <postdate>2025-03-24 18:03:03</postdate> <headline>NRL weigh up call on Stuart’s post-match comments</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-340978" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250208167883948705-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Ricky Stuart says agreed interpretations on obstruction penalties have 'gone out the window'. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Scott Bailey </strong>in Sydney</span></p> <p><strong>The NRL is examining Ricky Stuart's post-match comments following Canberra's loss to Manly, as officials decide whether to add to the coach's $160,000 in career fines.</strong></p> <p>Stuart indicated several frustrations following the Raiders' 40-12 defeat at Brookvale, claiming he no longer understood NRL interpretations around obstructions.</p> <p>The veteran coach also pointed to a lopsided set-restart and penalty count, despite what he claimed to be statistically similar play-the-ball speeds between both sides.</p> <p>NRL CEO Andrew Abdo sent an edict to clubs before the season, warning head office would be stricter on public comments relating to match officials.</p> <p>The email claimed that comments from coaches amplified fan and media attention around decisions, which were often "differences of opinion".</p> <p>Stuart appeared extremely careful with his words in a bid to avoid falling foul of the NRL on Sunday night.</p> <p>He made a point not to explicitly refer to referee Grant Atkins during his press conference, when asked if he was unhappy with the whistleblower's performance.</p> <p>"I'm not allowed to talk about the ref, but I hope Andrew Abdo has an answer for us all," Stuart said.</p> <p>Stuart was one of the coaches who formed a committee with Abdo, head of football Graham Annesley and referee Ashley Kelin about rules over the summer.</p> <p>Part of that discussion centred around interpretations for obstructions, with the NRL putting more onus on defenders making the correct decisions.</p> <p>Stuart said that had seemingly "gone out the window", and he "wasted two days" on the committee, after Canberra had a try pulled back with the score 0-0.</p> <p>The Raiders coach also claimed he saw inconsistencies in the way ruck infringements were awarded across the league.</p> <p>"The six-agains that go against my poor buggers, I see those tackles every week by certain teams (and) nothing is done," Stuart said.</p> <p>AAP understands the NRL were reviewing Stuart's press conference on Monday, with no call made on whether he had breached the rules.</p> <p>Stuart has accumulated some $160,000 in fines since taking over as NRL coach at the Sydney Roosters in 2002.</p> <p>The last of those came in 2022, when he was fined $25,000 and banned from coaching for a week for personal comments against then-Penrith forward Jaeman Salmon.</p> <p>Meanwhile, it's understood the NRL were okay with referee Wyatt Raymond's decision to penalise Canterbury's Josh Curran for acting "against the true spirit of the game" by personating a match official.</p> <p>Curran was penalised in the Bulldogs' win over Parramatta, after he called Matt Doorey as offside, prompting the Eel to pull out of a tackle.</p> <p>It's believed the rare penalty came because Curran himself was in front of Canterbury's play-the-ball and standing in the defensive line, and therefore should have been out of play.</p> </body>