Raiders coach criticizes refereeing after loss to Manly

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart expressed frustration about the refereeing following his team's heavy 40-12 loss to the Sea Eagles on Sunday. He highlighted the disparity in officiating, with Manly receiving seven set restarts compared to just one for Canberra. Stuart questioned the fairness of the match and called for answers from the NRL. Veteran reporter Phil Rothfield suggested that the Raiders were being closely monitored due to their strong start to the season, which included wins over the Warriors and Broncos. He speculated that someone from another club may have alerted the NRL to scrutinize the Raiders more closely. The referee’s decisions, including a controversial obstruction call that disallowed a try for Canberra, left Stuart feeling confused. He noted that it was challenging to coach a team when the rules seem unclear. The Raiders faced a daunting task as they were forced to make significantly more tackles than Manly, leading to a physically demanding match. Rothfield pointed out that Stuart’s confusion was surprising, especially since he was involved in discussions about improving officiating rules during the offseason. This has raised concerns about consistency in how the rules are applied across the league.