Ricky Stuart and Kevin Walters: A friendship that goes back to the glamour days of the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos
In the 1990s, it was the Grand Final clash that everyone dreamed about. The Canberra Raiders versus the Brisbane Broncos. They were the glamour teams of the time, but it was the Grand Final that just never happened.
Fast forward to the 2020s and we find those two teams struggling at the bottom of the competition ladder. The Brisbane Broncos were the wooden spooners for the first time in their history in 2020. The Raiders made a Preliminary Final last year, but their fall from grace in 2021 has been rapid.
Both teams meet at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night, desperate to climb out of their bottom four positions.
The coaches of the two teams, Ricky Stuart and Kevin Walters, played together at the Raiders back in 1988 and 1989. Both played in green in the famous 1989 Grand Final, Stuart in the No. 7 and Walters off the bench. It was the first premiership for the Raiders and both players.
Walters left Canberra at the end of that year to join the Broncos - and went on to win five premierships with the Queensland outfit. Stuart ended up winning three with Canberra - as did Kevin's brother, legendary hooker, Steve Walters.
"I'm good friends with their coach," Raiders mentor, Ricky Stuart said of Kevin Walters today.
"I understand the situation they're going through and he understands ours. Talking to his brother Steve during the week he said the same thing."
"We'll catch up after the game and one's going to be upset and one's going to be happy. We understand each other's positions at the moment."
"They're a very big team. I don't think it'll be a scrappy affair, I think it'll be quite a physical affair because we've both got quite a big football team."
The Raiders have had a week off due to the bye, and Stuart believes it will do his team the world of good, after a season marred by off field disruptions and poor performances on field.
"I can only judge on how they've returned and they've been great," Stuart said.
"We've had some struggles. But the camaraderie, the mateship amongst the players is pulling them through this."
"They all bounced back into work this week and they had a lot of energy. I can see from a mental point of view, it's been a really good freshen up for them."
Ricky Stuart is happy he's getting some players back from injury and suspension. Josh Papalii will start at prop on Saturday night, after serving a three game suspension, while forward Joe Tapine has been included on the bench after recovering from a knee injury.
"We're slowly getting some players back from injury," Stuart said.
"A couple of the younger boys, Harley Smith-Shields and Albert Hopoate are back into full training. Albert's played now for a couple of games."
"Jarrod Croker is probably around two to three games away from returning as well. So we're slowly getting some players back.
"The return of Joe Tapine and Josh Papalii this week are great inclusions for the team as well."
"They're both international players. They both bring different games to our whole of performance. We need them as a club, as a team, as a coach, we need them playing their best football."
"They've both looked very healthy. They've both worked very hard, one, in rehabilitation, with Joe. With Josh, he's worked very hard and got down to a really good weight in his time in suspension."
"I need a big game out of both of them."
Stuart revealed today that he's set a new playing weight for Papalii - in light of new rules in 2021 to speed up the game - and the big prop has achieved the target.
"Papa's been playing this season around the same weight he has the last two years. So he hasn't been playing overweight," Stuart said.
"During the three week suspension period, we challenged him to get down to another weight, another level of weight and he has."
"He knew how critical it was to get there and he worked very hard."
"Papa's a good fellow. He cares a lot about the club, his team, his team mates and the position we're in."
"When I've got a player that has that type of care and concern for the situation, I respect that. It hurts him."
"He's a Raider through and through. He's been here all his career and he doesn't like to see us in this position."
"I've had a couple of really deep chats with Josh, not about Josh, just about our situation and about the way we can get out of it."
Stuart has selected winger Bailey Simonsson at fullback this week. It will be just his second NRL match in the No. 1 jersey.
Caleb Aekins has been filling in for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at fullback, but he had an unhappy game against the Roosters.
With Nicoll-Klokstad recovering from neck surgery, and sidelined for the rest of the season, Stuart will be hoping that Simonsson can grow into the role.
"Bailey's always wanting to get more involved in attack," Stuart said today.
"He's always asking the question how to get his contribution up and this is a great chance for him."
"He's practiced at fullback before, he's filled in a little bit at fullback before. I know he's excited about the opportunity and the challenge."
"Bailey's background is in rugby union. He's played for New Zealand Sevens. I think he's had a little bit of time there."
"He's got some good solid attack. He's got some good skill and he's quite a big body."
"It's a tough position, it's one of the hardest positions on the field to play. It takes a lot of energy and your workload's very high."
Five eighth Jack Wighton was the only Raider who played in State of Origin I in Townsville on Wednesday night. Physically, he should be right to back up, as he played for only 16 minutes off the bench. Stuart also thinks the Origin experience will also benefit him mentally.
"It's very good from a personal point of view for Jack to go away and have another challenge with Origin," Stuart said.
"Find a new role coming from a No. 14 position. It's awkward at times, you're up and you think you're going on and you've got to sit back down. And then he goes on in a couple of different positions."
"I think it was a good mental break for Jack. Moving away from a pretty stressful period here, to go in and freshen up with a new bunch of team mates, playing the pinnacle of rugby league in Origin."
"Talking to him last night,he sounded really positive and upbeat. So hopefully the Origin camp has been a treat for him."
A report for The Greenhouse
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