Canberra chief executive Don Furner says the Raiders are ready to accept any punishment handed down by the NRL over Ricky Stuart’s post-match attack on Jaeman Salmon, which could include suspension from future games.
Key points:
- The Raiders say they “do not condone” Ricky Stuart’s comments
- The NRL’s investigation is ongoing, and Jaeman Salmon’s family has called on the league to take action
- Stuart released a public apology on Sunday but has not contacted Salmon on the Panthers personally
After Penrith’s 26-6 defeat of the Raiders, Stuart labeled the Panthers’ stand-in five-eighth a “weak-gutted dog” for kicking Tom Starling in the groin.
Salmon ran afoul of the Canberra coach while playing with his son as a pre-teen in 2010, reportedly reducing the younger Stuart to tears in an incident that led to a confrontation between the pair’s fathers.
“‘Where Salmon kicked Tommy, it ain’t on,” Stuart said on Saturday.
“I have had history with that kid [Salmon]. I know that kid very well.
“He was a weak-gutted dog as a kid and he hasn’t changed now. He is a weak-gutted dog person now.”
In the team’s first statement since Stuart’s comments, the Raiders said they did not endorse the coach’s behavior but understood it.
“As a club, we do not condone the comments made by Ricky in Saturday night’s press conference and we are currently in dialogue with the NRL and cooperating with all their inquiries,” Furner said.
“We will accept their findings and any sanctions they hand down.
“Being a head coach is a high-pressure job and comes with intense scrutiny from fans, media, and [the] public and we understand emotion is high following a match.
“However, as a club we acknowledge that coaches also have a responsibility to ensure they conduct themselves professionally when making public comments.”
The Panthers won’t comment on the matter publicly until the NRL Integrity Unit’s investigation is finalized.
Stuart has yet to contact the Panthers or Salmon personally since the incident but did release a public apology on Sunday.
Salmon has pleaded guilty to the grade one contrary conduct charge incurred for the kick and will escape suspension with a $1,000 fine.
Despite Stuart’s public apology, the Salmon family urged the NRL to consider a serious sanction in a statement of their own released on Sunday.
AAP
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