Darren Lockyer doesn’t buy the argument that, following Ricky Stuart’s “weak-gutted dog person” outburst, post-game press conferences should be scrapped.
Paul Gallen presented that argument in his latest column for Wide World of Sports, on the back of Stuart’s astonishing spray directed at Panthers playmaker Jaeman Salmon.
“Doing a media conference moments after a game is just stupid,” Gallen wrote.
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“It’s stupid and 99 per cent of the time it’s boring.
“The coaches go in there, and whenever they get asked a question about a contentious play they have the same answer.”
But Lockyer sees value in the coach and captain facing the press shortly after the game.
“Sometimes they televise it. I look at it in the AFL. Sometimes it’s quite enlightening watching them,” Lockyer said on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER.
“The passion, whether you’ve won or lost, is actually good to see.
“This is a slip-up from Ricky, it’s the wrong part.
“Changing the system based on what happened there — I think that would be wrong.
“I think it’s just a mistake by an individual that not many others would make.”
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The NRL hit Stuart with a one-match ban and $25,000 fine, ruling the Raiders coach out of his side’s clash with St George Illawarra in Canberra on Sunday.
Raiders coach banned for ‘unacceptable’ spray
The suspension means as of Tuesday afternoon until next Wednesday Stuart is not allowed to enter Raiders headquarters, attend any training session or provide any coaching.
Those duties have been left to his three assistants.
Lockyer thought Stuart, an intense figure in rugby league, had “mellowed out”.
“We know Ricky’s a passionate person and at times he can boil over,” Lockyer said.
“We’ve seen it in the past.
“He’d been quite good the last sort of 18 months.
“I hadn’t seen a chair kicked on the sideline for a while.”
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