Where the Kangaroos have improved quickly in 2025
Where the Kangaroos have improved quickly in 2025
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News.com.au
2 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!'
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Paul Gallen calls Sonny Bill Williams a 'dropkick', disliked by the All Blacks
Paul Gallen and SBW will finally square off in Sydney on July 16. Photo: Photosport The war of words has gone nuclear. Paul Gallen is looking to inflict as much damage on Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) as possible before the pair finally square off in the ring on 16 July in Sydney. Unleashing a barrage towards his opponent, Gallen said that there is nothing to respect about Williams, and said most New Zealanders want to see SBW lose the highly anticipated fight. However, despite appearances, the former Kangaroo said the feud is not personal. "I don't care. he's just someone in front of me I need to beat. That's all it is. I don't like him, I don't respect him, but I don't care about him. He's got no influence over me. I'm not concerned about what he says or what he does." Traditionally not a fan of trash-talk, SBW has uncharacteristically shown plenty of vitriol towards Gallen, labelling him a "narcissistic p**k," and even accusing him of using steroids. Gallen insisted he's been unaffected by the barbs Williams has thrown. "You've got to respect the person to worry about their opinion and there's certainly no respect for that bloke. He's a drop kick." He alleged that even SBW's fellow countrymen will be rooting against him. "I just think the way he holds himself, the way everything's about Sonny. The amount of Kiwis that I met over in Perth actually during origin that want me to beat him. I just really want to hurt this bloke, I don't like him. There's nothing about him I like. Nothing." A fight ten years in the making, Gallen said his disdain for Williams started even earlier in 2008, when the young prodigy dramatically left the NRL and switched codes to Toulon. "This hasn't started just because of this fight. I haven't liked him for a very long time. Dating right back to what he done at the Bulldogs, he's not a good person and I get to sort that out in a month's time." The pair have been trading verbal barbs for over a decade. Photo: Photosport Gallen has even implied that Williams was not liked during his time with the All Blacks from 2010-2019. "I don't know what happened with him and the All Blacks. I'm not a rugby man. I know the All Blacks is your pride and joy, but I get the feeling that he wasn't the most liked person within the All Blacks arena either. I think when you look at something successful as the All Blacks when they don't like him, I think it says a hell of a lot about who the person is." The 43-year-old admits while his fitness may not be what it once was, he hasn't lost any power. "We all know his chin's not great but I have to get him first, it's easier said than done. Everyone wants to knock someone out, everyone wants to think, they're a fighter. If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it at the end of the day. And then obviously we know people can't, so I'll get to get in there and have a good red crack, and see what happens." Gallen is planning to stand and trade leather with Williams should the Kiwi look to engage in close. "Look, that's my natural type of fighting anyway. I've got to go forward now. He's obviously six four. I'm 5'11'', so I've got to go forward and draw him anyway, so that's the way it's going to be. That's why I've always bought, that's my style of fighting. So, that's what will happen." So will the pair bury the hatchet after meeting in the ring? "There's not a chance mate. I've got no respect for the bloke. I don't want to shake his hand. If he wants to put his hand out I'll shake it out of sportsmanship, but that'll be it."
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘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.'
