Ricky Stuart rages after Raiders’ Nick Cotric sent off for ugly tackle

A furious Ricky Stuart has taken aim at not only referee Ashley Klein, but anyone who believes Raiders centre Cotric deserved to be dismissed for an “accidental” lifting tackle.

Nick Cotric was sent off for his tackle on Tim Lafai. Picture: Getty Images

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has slammed the decision to make Nick Cotric the first send off of 2019, firing: “Whoever thinks that’s a spear tackle doesn’t know the game of rugby league”.

Nick Cotric was sent off for his tackle on Tim Lafai. picture: Getty Images

A furious Stuart has taken aim at not only referee Ashley Klein, but anyone who believes Raiders centre Cotric deserved to be dismissed for an “accidental” lifting tackle on St George Illawarra’s Tim Lafai at WIN Stadium on Sunday night.

Cotric was on Monday charged with a grade three dangerous throw by the NRL match review committee and faces up to four weeks on the sidelines.

While the Raiders won the match 36-14, moving into third on the NRL ladder, Stuart used his post match press conference to slam the send off decision, suggesting match officials were now being influenced by the growing media hype surrounding illegal play.

“Whoever thinks that’s a spear tackle doesn’t know the game of rugby league,” Stuart fumed.

“If you call that a spear tackle, you’ve only just started watching this game. And you shouldn’t be involved in it if you think that’s a spear tackle.

“It was unintentional.

“It got away from him a little bit and I understand that.

“But that’s an accident and I think the kid (Lafai) played on.

“Nick has no malice in him at all. He’s a strong kid and as I said, it got away on him and it ended up with him, I believe, on the wrong end of it in regards to being sent off.”

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‘Not a spear tackle’: Tim Lafai is upended by Nick Cotric. Picture: Getty Images

Nick Cotric was sent off for his tackle on Tim Lafai. Picture: Getty Images

Stuart suggested the send off decision made by Klein — the same whistleblower with whom he had a heated altercation after the 2008 World Cup, as Kangaroo coach — was in reaction to the recent hype surrounding illegal play.

He spoke specifically about the “talk” around “eye gouging, whacks around the head, late hits”.

Playing his first match back from a serious syndesmosis injury, Cotric now becomes the first player sent off since Melbourne’s Curtis Scott in Round 11 last year and only the third since David Shillington was also dismissed in 2015.

Later, Stuart continued: “People think I attack referees, I don’t.

“They’ve got a really tough job.

“But there has been that much talk about foul play ... there’s a lot of noise about foul play. And I don’t believe that (tackle) was foul, it was an accident.

“Make your own mind up, (but) in our game with the collision, you’re always going to happen. That’s the nature of the beast.

“I just thought it was very harsh.”

Around this time, a journalist then suggested to Stuart that Cotric’s hit did in fact look very much like a spear tackle.

“Do you think it’s a spear tackle? If you think it’s a spear tackle you shouldn’t be a journalist in rugby league,” the coach responded.

Stuart added that, while the incident could be adjudged a lifting tackle, other serious incidents recently had gone unpunished.

He pointed specifically to Parramatta’s Peni Terepo breaking the nose of Raiders winger Jordan Rapana two weeks ago, and only being put on report. Then on Sunday night, Dragons winger Mika Ravalawa was also put on report for a high shot on centre Jarrod Croker.

“Terepo two weeks ago, breaks Jordan’s nose and then nearly breaks his cheekbone -- nothing,” Stuart said.

“Then tonight Jarrod Croker makes a break in open space, has the chance to score a try and Ravalawa come across and wakes him in the head -- nothing.

“Why didn’t that get binned?

“Again, I feel sorry for the referees because I believe they’re unclear with the interpretations and what they should call.”

And as for how Cotric was feeling?

“He’s shattered,” the coach added. “I took off straight after the game to see him because he’s a young boy.

“There’s no malice in the kid.

“My heart went out to him because I know how much it’s hurting him.

“All he’s asking me is ‘what’s going to happen, what’s going to happen?’. The kid just wants to play footy. We’ll fight it.”

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Originally published as Ricky Stuart rages after Raiders’ Nick Cotric sent off for ugly tackle