The Raiders coach often finds himself public enemy number one, but his achievements in 2025 are a reminder this prickly pear is also an ingenious mentor who can produce a mean footy team. And while it may not be obvious to us outsiders, it also highlights his massive contribution to the game, and we’re not talking about all the new NRL offices he funds with breach fines. Despite beginning the season as friendless outsiders, Stuart has transformed a Raiders side that was wooden spoon favourites in to bona fide premiership frontrunners. And while Cameron Ciraldo has done a bang-up job at Canterbury and Kristian Woolf has worked wonders creating a Dolphins team that can score from the carpark, all signs point to one thing: If Stuart’s titanic deed doesn’t win him the Coach of the Year award, then it would be an absolute disgrace. Never miss the latest sports news from Australia and around the world - download the news.com.au app direct to your phone. As we know, everyone involved in rugby league has at some point been offended by the Canberra legend, Canberra fans included. Whether slagging off opposition players, sacking blokes by overhead projector or merely picking Jamie Buhrer for NSW, chances are Sticky’s done something to get up your nose. But if you look past his tightly-wound exterior and repeated sideline loogies, you’ll see a passionate man manager with a deep love for his players who has worked outrageous juju. For a modestly financed club that doesn’t swing its manhood around on the player market, any winning Raiders season should be considered a fine accomplishment. But in orchestrating Canberra’s unlikely title drive, Stuart has cracked one of rugby league’s toughest riddles by somehow syncing every player in his squad to deliver personal best form all at the same time. And by inspiring this unheralded bunch in to pole position, he’s in touching distance of an iconic moment in Canberra’s modern history to rival the 2019 Grand Final and that photo of Terry Campese bathing in milk. The Raiders usually struggle to convince anyone of the benefits of Burley Griffin over Bondi, but Stuart has flipped the script by nurturing a team of self-made stars that have no reservations living in a city that requires a wardrobe of 75% Gore-Tex. In addition to the steady hand of Jamal Fogarty, the emergence of Ethan Strange and an electric back five lead by Kaeo Weekes, this Raiders side is anchored by a Stuart calling card: A motherload of girthy grumpy street-smart forwards. Lead by brute bookends in Joe Tapine and Josh Papali’i, this is a pack that has voraciously played like they’d crash through their own mother just to get a quick play-the-ball. And to be fair, we should’ve known in pre-season they were primed for a scrap when Morgan Smithies and Hudson Young were caught in a Vegas elevator brawling over an inflatable baseball bat. In basic terms, they’re all competitive, cranky and a little bit crackers, ie an extension of their coach. And this is where Stuart’s secret ingredient lies. For a bloke who’d hold a grudge against Gandhi, he has so much love for his players that the infamous ‘weak gutted dog’ sledge at Jaeman Salmon that shocked the footy fraternity in 2022 was actually conveyed by his players as a big warm cuddle, albeit one that cost $25,000. As such, many may consider Stuart’s finest work to be in the nuts and bolts of coaching, but his proudest achievements arguably come in being a patch-protective father figure full of love and care, even if he shows it by kicking plastic chairs down the sideline. - Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad. He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.