Raiders coaching job still up in the air
Date
September 4, 2013 - 1:46PM
Chris Wilson
Sports editor at The Canberra Times
Raiders chairman John McIntyre admits his admiration for Ricky Stuart is ''no secret'', but McIntyre has again denied any backdoor approach to Stuart and insists he will not interfere in the search for Canberra's next coach.
Speculation is intensifying Stuart will officially enter the race for the Raiders' coaching job once the regular NRL season is complete this weekend.
Rumours linking Stuart with the Raiders have persisted since 2010, when then-coach David Furner was first under pressure to retain his position.
But things seem be aligning more than ever for Stuart and the Raiders.
Despite public denials, Fairfax Media understands the Raiders have informally sounded out Stuart since Furner's sacking two weeks ago.
The instability at Parramatta could provide Stuart with an exit clause in his contract to leave the Eels at season's end.
McIntyre has had a long association with Stuart and has spoken in the past of his desire to bring the three-time premiership winner back to the club in some capacity.
''There's no secret to that, but at this point in time, let's talk about the football team rather than anything else because you're only shadow-boxing or speculating,'' McIntyre said.
McIntyre said he had not talked to Stuart about interest in the Raiders coaching role and said he had faith in the board's appointed four-man subcommittee to find the best man for the job.
''We're not restricting them in any way, I'm confident they'll do their absolute best.''
The subcommittee will present its first update on the coaching search to the Raiders board this week.
The meeting will take place either on Friday morning – which will also determine the future of troubled centre Blake Ferguson – or another times prior to Sunday's final home match.
Stuart and former Raiders coach Neil Henry are shaping as early favourites, but the extensive list of candidates also includes Tim Sheens, Tony Smith, Kevin Walters, Andrew McFadden, Wayne Collins, Rick Stone and interim coach Andrew Dunemann.
Stuart does have strong personal support on the Raiders board, given Terry Weber and John Mackay are also committee members on the Ricky Stuart Foundation, a charitable organisation set up to raise awareness of autism.
Henry also has supporters, although he must contend with the stigma that he used an outclause in his contract to leave the Raiders at the end of 2008 to join the North Queensland Cowboys.
McFadden, who sought a release to leave the Raiders and take up an assistant coaching role at the New Zealand Warriors this season, confirmed he had applied for the role.
McFadden declared he was ''ready'' to step up and be an NRL coach.
McFadden was highly regarded at the Raiders before his departure and he hoped leaving the club at the end of 2012 would not count against him.
''I think they're professional enough to judge what I did on its merits and hopefully that doesn't go against me,'' McFadden said.
''The decision to move out of Canberra was a development thing for myself, I'd worked with Dave [Furner] for a while and I probably had a different thought on the way things should be going. I thought I needed to move on.''
McFadden talked to Raiders players after Saturday's 50-16 loss to the Warriors and could tell the tumultuous season had taken its toll.
But McFadden said the potential in Canberra's playing roster made it an attractive job for any NRL coach.
''It's been a long and hard year for a lot of them so you could certainly see the strain in them after the game, that's for sure,'' McFadden said.
''They're in a bit of a rut at the moment ... I don't think it's a massive job to turn that place around because they've clearly got a lot of talent and good people there.
''I just feel like I'm ready for that position, which is probably less about the coaching these days and more about managing the people around you.''
