‘We embarrassed ourselves’: Sticky lays into fast-fading Raiders

Ricky Stuart has a bone to pick with his Canberra Raiders, who’ve been on the wrong end of big scorelines for two straight weeks.

Ricky Stuart will have to go back to the drawing board.

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart accused some of his players of masquerading as first graders after the Raiders were thrashed 35-10 by Parramatta in front of a neat sell-out crowd at GIO Stadium.

The home side did not land a blow after trailing by two points at halftime, conceding 23 unanswered points in a bitterly disappointing performance.

Straight-shooting Stuart made it clear several players were in the side under false pretences, hinting there could be changes after heavy back-to-back defeats.

“There were individuals leaning on others … waiting for someone else to do it,” he said.

“There were individuals happy putting on a NRL jumper and thinking they’re an NRL player.

“There are other individuals there I feel real sorry for because they are having a red-hot crack and they’re not getting supported.

“There are a number of individuals letting the team down. It’s hard to take.

“Once they understand the hard culture of it all – or I’ve got to find someone else – hopefully there’s an improvement.

“We had a massive crowd and every reason to make them proud of us and we embarrassed ourselves.

“Not the (whole) team – individuals (let us down). Don’t put everyone in that category.”

It was a tough night at the office for the Green Machine.

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur had no such attitude problem with his side, sensing the Eels were ready to produce something special after a flat last-round performance against the Dragons.

It was Parra’s first win in Canberra in 15 years – not that Arthur was interested in a history lesson.

“I don’t know about the hoodoo – I’m not really into records – but I was pleased we came with the right attitude,” he said.

“It was a good team effort.

“We chased the collision – we knew we had to – and we’re a better football team when we do that.

“We came here prepared to roll the sleeves up

“Last week we wanted to play pretty and fancy and we’re not that sort of team.”

Halfback Mitchell Moses was superb, tormenting Canberra with his kicking game.

It led four-time premiership-winning No. 7 Cooper Cronk to declare that game should be Moses’s benchmark for the rest of his career.