‘It hurt me personally': Munster inspired by attacks against Queensland coach Slater
Queensland skipper Cameron Munster has leapt to the defence of Billy Slater, admitting the criticism and personal attacks against the Maroons coach galvanised him and his team in game two.
Slater was at the centre of a tumultuous 48 hours for the Maroons after the coach took aim at former Kangaroos teammate Aaron Woods after he called him a grub on Sydney breakfast radio a week earlier.
Slater's attempted take down of Woods was overshadowed by him referencing the late Paul Green and was forced to call an impromptu press conference on the morning of Origin II to issue a heartfelt apology to Green's family for the offence he may have caused them by dragging him into the war-of-words.
Munster said the situation surrounding Slater, compounded by criticism of his coaching and selection from the opening game of the series, triggered a reaction from him and his teammates on the field in Perth on Wednesday night.
'When you get jabs or blokes in the media having a go at your coach … At the end of the day, he's our coach and he's done everything he can and ticked the boxes for us,' Munster said.
'We didn't perform for him in game one and he got a lot of slack for it and a lot of stuff in the media and didn't deserve it. I played with Bill. He's a champion player and champion coach. I've had a great relationship with him and still do and we're really close mates. When you have someone jabbing at him like that, it really hurts. It hurt me personally.
'I don't ever tell him that, but I'm probably telling him now. I love him, and I just want to do the best thing for Queensland and the best thing for him, because he's not doing this for him. He's doing it for Queensland, and he loves Queensland and that's a reason why he's so passionate.
'When you have someone like that at the helm, you just want to play for him. At the end of the day, I just love playing for Queensland and he's the reason why I want to play.'
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News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Jed Stuart, son of NRL legend Ricky, scores on dream NRL debut
Ricky Stuart gave a stunning insight into what it all meant after his son Jed had a dream debut in the Canberra Raiders' 16-12 victory over the Wests Tigers on Friday night. Jed Stuart, 23, has been under an enormous shadow as he made his way in his young career. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Not only is he the offspring of a Kangaroos, NSW Blues and Raiders legend, his dad Ricky is also the Canberra coach. Named an emergency four times this season, Jed was finally handed his first NRL game by his emotional coach this week after strong form in the NSW Cup. Watch Ricky Stuart discuss his son's debut below Quick to ward off any talk of nepotism, Ricky said earlier this week: 'He's worked really hard to get there, he's actually had to work doubly hard — I've made it very hard on him. 'He's earned his spot, let's put it that way.' The 404th player to make his debut for the Canberra club, Jed couldn't have asked for a better start. After Joseph Tapine opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Jed got his moment just five minutes later. Kaeo Weekes' sensational run gave the Raiders field position before the ball worked its way to centre Sebastian Kris on the next tackle. Just as Kris was tackled, he managed to get a flick pass to Stuart and the red-headed winger did the rest to touch down in front of friends and family. 'Kris very late pass, Stuart! Stuart is over in the corner!' Dan Ginnane said on Fox League. 'Jed Stuart scores on debut and the Stuart clan goes bonkers. Oh boy they waited four years for him to get a crack at first grade. 'They only had to wait 18 minutes to see him score.' Michael Ennis added: 'What a moment that is. Question marks about the flick pass, but the put down from Stuart was brilliant. 'That's Canberra at their best. It started with Weekes and finished with Stuart, what a moment.' The Raiders led 16-0 at halftime and withstood a second-half comeback from the Tigers, who had skipper Jarome Luai backing up from Origin just 48 hours earlier. But much of the talk after the game was about the debut winger. 'You couldn't have scripted this any better,' Yvonne Sampson said on Fox League. Kevin Walter added: 'It was brilliant. It's an all-time memory now in the NRL. 'There's father and son, what a way to start his NRL career, scoring a try.' Englishman James Graham, who said his father's proudest moment from his son's long career was watching James' debut, was stunned by what he saw. 'To give your son a debut shirt, you coach the side, that must be – it'll never get better for a father son relationship,' he said. 'That is so cool to witness.' In his post-match press conference, Ricky Stuart said it had been the hardest week of his coaching career. 'I appreciate how all the players supported him and there was a lot of pressure on him tonight,' he said. 'This week's been the hardest week I've had since I've coached. 'From a father's point of view, I didn't want him to be man of the match, I just wanted him to hold his own. 'That's all I wanted and he did that. The amount of times I've woken up at 3 o'clock in the morning with some real bad thoughts. I didn't get any of those tonight so it was good. 'I'll enjoy a beer with him tonight.' Remarkably, X account Random Stats Guy claimed Ricky and Jed both made their debut in round 16, 37 years apart, and both scored a try. Pundits and fans alike were loving the moment on Friday night. Roosters halfback Chad Townsend tweeted: 'Great moment for Jed Stuart! Love to see it.' NRL journalist Brad Walter wrote: 'What a night for Jed Stuart. His dad is one of the great players, coaches and people in our game and Jed has had a debut to remember.' One fan watching on joked: 'BREAKING: Ricky Stuart's key halftime message – any of you who don't pass the ball to Jed WON'T be getting any Maccas on the way home!'
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Jed Stuart ends dad's sleepless nights with debut win
Ricky Stuart's weeks of sleepless nights are over after his son Jed scored on debut and Canberra held on to beat the Raiders 16-12 at Campbelltown. Following a fortnight of build up to one of the Raiders' most famous debuts in years, Stuart played a key role in Canberra's ninth win in 10 matches on Friday night. His try came as Canberra led 16-0 at halftime, before being forced to defend through a nervy final 25 minutes with the margin just four. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline. The Raiders coach had long known of the 23-year-old's ability, but was hesitant to plug him into Canberra's backline before Savelio Tamale's injury. Stuart Jnr. responded by taking a bomb on attack with his first play, saving a 40-20 with a bat back and then scoring when Seb Kris sent him over in the corner. "This week has been the hardest moment I've had as a coach," Ricky Stuart said. "Because from a father's point of view, I don't want him to come out and be man of the match, I just want him to hold his own. And he did that. "The amount of times I've been waking up at 3am with real bad thoughts ... He didn't have any of those tonight, which was good." While Jed Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defenders who proved the heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling the No.6's arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders prop had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. "That's why I've been saying for the past two years I think he is the best front-rower in the game," Stuart said. "There is a lot of athleticism in those efforts." As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. But a denied try from a forward pass, Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the Tigers were consigned to a fifth straight loss. "Looking at our last two games, the four-time premiers (Penrith), taking them to the wire and almost winning. And the team that is second on the table, giving ourselves a shot today," Tigers coach Benji Marshall said. "I know the results have gone the other way, but it's not proud off where we've got to be." Ricky Stuart's weeks of sleepless nights are over after his son Jed scored on debut and Canberra held on to beat the Raiders 16-12 at Campbelltown. Following a fortnight of build up to one of the Raiders' most famous debuts in years, Stuart played a key role in Canberra's ninth win in 10 matches on Friday night. His try came as Canberra led 16-0 at halftime, before being forced to defend through a nervy final 25 minutes with the margin just four. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline. The Raiders coach had long known of the 23-year-old's ability, but was hesitant to plug him into Canberra's backline before Savelio Tamale's injury. Stuart Jnr. responded by taking a bomb on attack with his first play, saving a 40-20 with a bat back and then scoring when Seb Kris sent him over in the corner. "This week has been the hardest moment I've had as a coach," Ricky Stuart said. "Because from a father's point of view, I don't want him to come out and be man of the match, I just want him to hold his own. And he did that. "The amount of times I've been waking up at 3am with real bad thoughts ... He didn't have any of those tonight, which was good." While Jed Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defenders who proved the heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling the No.6's arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders prop had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. "That's why I've been saying for the past two years I think he is the best front-rower in the game," Stuart said. "There is a lot of athleticism in those efforts." As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. But a denied try from a forward pass, Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the Tigers were consigned to a fifth straight loss. "Looking at our last two games, the four-time premiers (Penrith), taking them to the wire and almost winning. And the team that is second on the table, giving ourselves a shot today," Tigers coach Benji Marshall said. "I know the results have gone the other way, but it's not proud off where we've got to be." Ricky Stuart's weeks of sleepless nights are over after his son Jed scored on debut and Canberra held on to beat the Raiders 16-12 at Campbelltown. Following a fortnight of build up to one of the Raiders' most famous debuts in years, Stuart played a key role in Canberra's ninth win in 10 matches on Friday night. His try came as Canberra led 16-0 at halftime, before being forced to defend through a nervy final 25 minutes with the margin just four. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline. The Raiders coach had long known of the 23-year-old's ability, but was hesitant to plug him into Canberra's backline before Savelio Tamale's injury. Stuart Jnr. responded by taking a bomb on attack with his first play, saving a 40-20 with a bat back and then scoring when Seb Kris sent him over in the corner. "This week has been the hardest moment I've had as a coach," Ricky Stuart said. "Because from a father's point of view, I don't want him to come out and be man of the match, I just want him to hold his own. And he did that. "The amount of times I've been waking up at 3am with real bad thoughts ... He didn't have any of those tonight, which was good." While Jed Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defenders who proved the heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling the No.6's arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders prop had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. "That's why I've been saying for the past two years I think he is the best front-rower in the game," Stuart said. "There is a lot of athleticism in those efforts." As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. But a denied try from a forward pass, Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the Tigers were consigned to a fifth straight loss. "Looking at our last two games, the four-time premiers (Penrith), taking them to the wire and almost winning. And the team that is second on the table, giving ourselves a shot today," Tigers coach Benji Marshall said. "I know the results have gone the other way, but it's not proud off where we've got to be."
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Young Stuart scores as Raiders defence beats Tigers
Jed Stuart has provided one of the fairytale moments of Canberra's high-flying NRL season, before the Raiders held on to beat Wests Tigers 16-12 at Campbelltown. After they led 16-0 at halftime and looked in complete control, the Raiders were forced to sweat through a nervy final 25 minutes on Friday night. But with the Tigers back within four points and with all the good ball in the second half, the Raiders were able to repel set after set to claim victory. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline looking as stoic as ever. After a week of build-up around the 23-year-old's debut, he finished the Raiders' second try when Seb Kris put him over in the left corner. But while Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defence that were the real heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial in much of that. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling his arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders' front-rower had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. The Tigers had a chance to go ahead when Samuela Fainu crossed with 13 minutes to play, only for a Terrell May pass to be called forward. But Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the joint-venture were consigned to their fifth straight loss. Jed Stuart has provided one of the fairytale moments of Canberra's high-flying NRL season, before the Raiders held on to beat Wests Tigers 16-12 at Campbelltown. After they led 16-0 at halftime and looked in complete control, the Raiders were forced to sweat through a nervy final 25 minutes on Friday night. But with the Tigers back within four points and with all the good ball in the second half, the Raiders were able to repel set after set to claim victory. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline looking as stoic as ever. After a week of build-up around the 23-year-old's debut, he finished the Raiders' second try when Seb Kris put him over in the left corner. But while Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defence that were the real heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial in much of that. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling his arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders' front-rower had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. The Tigers had a chance to go ahead when Samuela Fainu crossed with 13 minutes to play, only for a Terrell May pass to be called forward. But Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the joint-venture were consigned to their fifth straight loss. Jed Stuart has provided one of the fairytale moments of Canberra's high-flying NRL season, before the Raiders held on to beat Wests Tigers 16-12 at Campbelltown. After they led 16-0 at halftime and looked in complete control, the Raiders were forced to sweat through a nervy final 25 minutes on Friday night. But with the Tigers back within four points and with all the good ball in the second half, the Raiders were able to repel set after set to claim victory. The win ensures Canberra will finish the round in second spot, with five straight victories and nine from their past 10 games. Stuart was the story of the night with a try on debut, the four-pointer coming as his proud father Ricky stood on the sideline looking as stoic as ever. After a week of build-up around the 23-year-old's debut, he finished the Raiders' second try when Seb Kris put him over in the left corner. But while Stuart provided the headline moment, it was Joe Tapine and Canberra's goal-line defence that were the real heroes. The Tigers spent large parts of the match camped on the Raiders' line, but were only able to break through twice in a five-minute period in the second half. Tapine was crucial in much of that. He somehow held up Jarome Luai as the Tigers five-eighth looked certain to get the ball down in the first half, pulling his arm back up as it went towards the turf. Then moments later it was Tapine who gave the Raiders their first try, running on to a Josh Papalii try and through a gaping hole to score. The Raiders' front-rower had another crucial moment in the second half, pulling off a one-on-one strip to end another Tigers attacking raid in the final 10 minutes. As resolute as the Raiders were, the Tigers were at times their own worst enemies. A Tom Starling try came after Kris brushed through a poor Heath Mason miss, before Jeral Skelton and Jahreem Bula fumbled a grubber and Starling dived on the ball. The Tigers were better in the second half, with Luai coming to life after being well contained before the break. Backing up just two days after Origin II and following cross-country travel, he sparked the Tigers to life when he grubbered for a chasing Alex Seyfarth to score. Luai had it at 16-12 moments later when he first put Adam Doueihi into space, before backing up on the next play and combining with Latu Fainu to send Starford To'a. The Tigers had a chance to go ahead when Samuela Fainu crossed with 13 minutes to play, only for a Terrell May pass to be called forward. But Tapine's strip and another overturned late penalty for a Skelton hair-pull meant the joint-venture were consigned to their fifth straight loss.
