Canberra coach Ricky Stuart kept quiet after his side suffered a disappointing 26-0 defeat to the Sydney Roosters at home on Friday night.
The Raiders were held scoreless in front of their home crowd, led by a brilliant hat-trick from winger Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Nawaqanitawase crossed three times in the victory and continues to build a compelling case for higher representative honours before he departs for union, with State of Origin selections being suspected as a main motivator.
For Canberra, it was a frustrating night from start to finish as it failed to match the Roosters' polish and execution.
Stuart's post-match press conference lasted barely two minutes, continuing a recent trend of brief appearances from the veteran coach after defeats.
Asked for his assessment of the performance, Stuart was blunt in his response, admitting the Roosters were simply “too good” and “had too much class”.
Despite the result leaving Canberra sitting 13th on the ladder, Stuart was quick to dismiss concerns about the club's direction when questioned about how the Raiders would turn their season around.
“It's one game, mate," he interjected.
Captain Joseph Tapine shared his coach's disappointment, pointing to Canberra's inability to stick to its preparation after producing a much stronger display the previous week.
“It was the opposite of what we did last week. We had the game plan, but we didn't do it,” Tapine said.
The loss leaves the Raiders searching for answers as they look to bounce back next week against Parramatta, while the Roosters head into Round 15 with a depleted side against the Dolphins due to Origin Game 2.
