Stuart’s stinging talk fires up Raiders

When Canberra coach Ricky Stuart talks, his players listen.

And both are hoping his latest dressing-down can whip them back into shape after two NRL drubbings.

Stuart was embarrassed by the Raiders’ 40-16 loss to Cronulla on Sunday and didn’t hold back in his post-match review in the sheds at GIO Stadium.

It followed a similarly poor performance against Parramatta, who beat them 36-6 a week earlier.

Both matches were a far cry from their stunning 22-8 victory over Canterbury the previous round.

Playmaker Sam Williams said Stuart’s brutal but fair assessment of the game on Sunday left the team stinging but admitted it was something the Raiders needed to hear.

“It’s not like he’s gone out there and given us a spray, it was just honest,” he said.

“He’s an honest bloke, Ricky, and that’s the best part about him – he’s up front. Whether you’re going well or going poorly, he lets you know where you’re at and that’s all you can ask from a coach.

“We cop it on the chin and move on.”

Stuart could only think of about five players who performed well against the Sharks, including winger Jordan Rapana and centre BJ Leilua.

Williams said the finger couldn’t be pointed at any one player, nor did he want to blame his fledgling partnership with new recruit Aidan Sezer.

The 25-year-old Williams has been called in to replace Blake Austin four times already this season, with the star five-eighth injured again with a hamstring issue.

“It’s just about going out there with a good, positive aggressive attitude,” Williams said.

“It’s round seven, and we’ve got an opportunity to turn it around this weekend.”

The Raiders on Saturday host an equally-desperate Wests Tigers, who’ve lost five in a row.

Williams is wary of how dangerous the joint-venture can be, led by James Tedesco.

“He’s certainly a danger man for them,” he said.

“He has shown at the start of this competition that he’s one of the best fullbacks in the game. As a team we need to make sure we try and nullify how good he can be.”

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