‘Shot of whiskey': How Ricky Stuart will cope with son's Canberra debut
Whenever Ricky Stuart hands one of his players a debut, he feels like a proud dad.
So you can only imagine how he feels after giving his actual son, Jed, the chance to become Raider #404 against Wests Tigers at Campbelltown on Friday.
'That's probably a good description because I like to get close to all of my players,' Stuart said 'This one is for real.'
It's a debut Stuart said Jed has had to work 'doubly hard' for. Concerned about perceptions of nepotism, the younger Stuart had to play 57 NSW Cup games before getting the call-up for first grade. Even then, it only happened after the senior Canberra players assured the coach that the young winger was up to the challenge.
'There was no way it was going to be an easy ride for him, it was always going to be a disadvantage for him [being my son], to be honest,' Stuart said.
'It's good for him. I feel like I've got a good understanding of when a player is ready to play NRL and this is a good opportunity for Jed to start developing an NRL career and see where he gets to.'
Stuart has always worn his heart on his sleeve. Watching him prowling along the sidelines, riding every play like his life depended on it, can be as entertaining as the action unfolding on the field.
When veteran prop Josh Papalii recently broke the Raiders record for first-grade appearances, Stuart had to hold back the tears. So how will he fare when Jed runs out?
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