SEN’s Matty Johns has declared 2022 as Ricky Stuart’s best season as coach of not just the Canberra Raiders but his entire career.
Stuart was a Raiders legend as he led the team to three premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994 and since he was appointed as Canberra coach in 2014, has led them to a grand final appearance in 2019 and two preliminary finals.
Johns said that Stuart was forced to make a number of tactical and structural changes this season which have paid dividends.
“They were trying to grind sides down and Ricky just said this isn’t working,” Johns said on SEN 1170 Morning Glory.
“That’s where it’s brave; to actually throw away some of his coaching principles and try to find a new formula.
“It was round 11 and they played Souths and there was an obvious change of tactics.
“Suddenly they were playing sideline to sideline, they were offloading and immediately you could see the attitude in the team changed.
“They were playing with a smile on their faces again.
“They’ve now won nine from 10.”
Several Raiders players this season have had career best years including Jamal Fogarty, Hudson Young and Joseph Tapine.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster said that a meeting with the club earlier in the season was the change that Stuart and the team needed.
“The genesis of this change was a meeting in the pre-season,” Webster said on SEN 1170 Morning Glory.
“He grabbed 21 of his most senior players and staff, booked a hotel, stayed the night, three hours on the table and they just got it all out.
“They just had a big honesty session.
“They had a better understanding and were talking to each other.
“That’s been the change and you can see it in Tapine.
“He was looking the get out of there and now he’s their best player.”
The Raiders can book their place in a preliminary final against Penrith if they can defeat the Parramatta Eels on Friday night.