The Canberra Raiders have edged out the Melbourne Storm 26-22 in a gripping contest, but despite the result, coach Ricky Stuart was left with mixed emotions post-match.
Stuart praised his side's performance after what he described as their most complete showing of the season.
The Raiders started strongly, jumping out to a 12-0 lead and appearing in control early, only for momentum to swing at various points throughout the contest.
One key moment came when Hudson Young was denied a try for an accidental offside — a decision that visibly frustrated Stuart in the coach's box.
Stuart was questioned on what goes through his head when he saw the Young no-try call.
“Negativity,” Stuart admitted.
While the Raiders ultimately held on for the win, the mood in Stuart's press conference quickly shifted when discussion turned to officiating and the broader state of the game.
The veteran coach has grown increasingly frustrated with inconsistencies, particularly around interpretations at the ruck and the impact of the bunker.
“What stands out to me is after the back end of the season last year, it's very hard to cheer after a try,” he said.
“I find it myself, I used to go off like a bloody idiot, scoring tries and whatnot. Unless it's an intercept or whatnot, it's hard to cheer because you think, 'Oh well okay, was he onside? Did he hit him high?' I mean, I suppose that's what the bunker's there for.”
Stuart believes there was a noticeable shift in how the game was officiated, particularly in and around the ruck, which he said created a different spectacle — albeit one lacking clarity.
“Everything at the ruck changed tonight," he said. "If you go back and have a look at all the work on the ground, it was different and we probably got a better spectacle.
“But it would be nice to know if we're going back to or what we're going to what we need to see on the ground after the tackle.
“I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but it's hard. It's hard as a coach when you work into one interpretation and another one happens tonight.
“And I'm not blaming Peter, the referee. I don't blame the referees at all, because they're being coached in a certain way.
“But it was certainly a completely different game tonight on the ground, where so much of the football is played after tackles. But it was completely different.
“I'd prefer it that way, but I'd prefer it to be the same for both.
“I felt there was a lot more time in the tackle on the ground tonight in a number of certain tackles. But it'd be just nice to know if that's going to be the way we're going forward.”
Adding to the night's controversy, one of the most debated moments came late in the game when Storm winger Will Warbrick appeared to be struck high in the dying stages.
However, after a captain's challenge, the contact was ruled incidental — a decision that ultimately favoured the Raiders and helped seal the narrow victory.
Despite securing the two points, Stuart's post-match tone reflected a broader concern — not just about isolated decisions, but about the consistency and direction of officiating.
