Stuart passion could prove his downfall
November 30th 2008 05:29
Ricky Stuart really is on death’s door in terms of his position as Kangaroos head coach.
A passionate character on most occasions, Stuart let his love for the Australian jersey get in his way a little bit too much, and it could now cost him the right to manage his beloved Kangaroos.
On the aftermath of Australia’s world cup final loss to New Zealand, Stuart lashed out at English referee Gavin Klein by saying ‘that cunt cost us the world cup.’
Now those words have been expensive for Stuart.
He was fined $50,000 dollars for the comment and is still under investigation for his outburst.
Its not Stuart’s wallet though that has come under the most scrutiny for his comments.
The Sharks coach is understandably feeling regret for his actions as it has damaged Australia’s reputation in league and sport in general.
Most media outlets are calling the Kangaroos ‘sooks‘, after most of the players failed to talk to the media after the final last Saturday.
Although its hard to take a loss which ended a trend of six consecutive world cups, all these potential disappointments form the job descriptions of an NRL player and coach for that matter.
Stuart really should know better than to vent his frustrations at an English referee, who for mine, performed very well in the final.
His calls were fast but accurate, and allowed both teams to play free flowing football that captivated the 50,000 strong record Suncorp test crowd.
Sure, there is every chance that Stuart will remain head coach of the Australians until the next world cup in 2013.
Even though his commitment to the Kangaroos cause cannot be questioned, the same cannot be said for his ego when placed under pressure.
Despite his coaching achievements far outweighing his misdemeanours on the sidelines, Stuart hasn’t yet displayed the ability to cope with the pressure that comes with a loss.
It’s a shame because he really is a great coach and a terrific character of rugby league.
The players love playing for him, which is evident with his success at both the Roosters and the Sharks these past few seasons.
But he has been a consistent hot head when things do not go his way, and this is the area of Stuart’s coaching that needs refining if he is to rival great coaches Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson.
He must learn to swallow any pill no matter how bitter.
That is if he gets another chance to swallow his words.
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