Ricky Stuart reveals inspiration for love affair of English footballers
Canberra may have Adrian Morley to thank for their invasion of English stars, with coach Ricky Stuart revealing the former Sydney Roosters hitman as the source of his admiration for UK talent.
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Canberra may have Adrian Morley to thank for the invasion of English stars on the nation’s capital, with coach Ricky Stuart revealing the former Sydney Roosters hitman as the source of his admiration for UK talent.
The Raiders have already unveiled their most recent Super League recruit Ryan Sutton, while star compatriot John Bateman will link up with the squad later following England national team duties.
Alongside Golden Boot nominee Elliott Whitehead and gun hooker Josh Hodgson, the prized recruits will form a Raiders forward pack almost completely made up of Englishmen.
Stuart’s respect for English players dates back to former Great Britain and Newcastle Knights coach Malcolm Reilly, but it was Morley who truly won him over during his time in charge of the Roosters.
“Adrian Morley was such a pleasure to coach. He was a real team person. He portrayed the typical English attitude,” Stuart told The Daily Telegraph.
“I also always respected Mal Reilly. With his no nonsense and tough attitude.
“I know the Burgess brothers are a big part of the culture at Souths and Morley certainly was at the Roosters.
“With Josh and Elliott coming here, they’re Adrian Morley’s.
“They’ve just fallen into the culture here and are a big part of the inner sanctum. They’re a credit to English rugby league.
“With young Ryan Sutton turning up here I can’t see anything outside him not being the same.”
Sutton, 23, took a major career risk in journeying to the NRL far younger than most of his fellow countrymen, but his glistening resume suggests he has the experience required to join the likes of Whitehead and Hodgson as enormous successes in Australia.
Since debuting in the Super League at 18, Sutton has played 119 games that included two titles, a World Club Challenge victory and a Challenge Cup final.
With the departures of Junior Paulo and Shannon Boyd, the front-rower will become a key member of Canberra’s middle rotation that’s adopted a more agile make-up for the 2019 season.
Wigan’s success may have inadvertently hand delivered Sutton to his new home, with the young gun declaring he’s ready to take his career to greater heights following his triumphs in England.
“The priority is to play Super League. Then when you win a few things which I’ve been lucky to do, you want to try and go that one step further, and this is that opportunity,’ Sutton said.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully doing something special this year.”
Sutton was relaxed in his first interview since landing in Canberra, but he wasn’t afraid to voice his expectations of Wigan teammate Bateman when asked what he could bring to the NRL.
“I know what John can bring. He’s a grub,” he said.
“He’s a real talented player, he’s not the biggest, but he’s a grub.
“He loves the tough stuff and I think from what I’ve seen here so far he’ll fit in fine.
“It’s good to have, as you call them, Pommies, in the squad.”
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Originally published as Ricky Stuart reveals inspiration for love affair of English footballers
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