Coach admits “headbutts” but denies rift within squad

Canberra head coach Ricky Stuart has defended his players and club after the Raiders snapped a damaging run of results to overcome Manly, 30-16.

A horrific three months seems to have finally been curbed with Canberra winning their third win in their last 12 games.

The rumour mill has, however, been going into overdrive about potential splits within the Green Machine’s squad, but Stuart denied any such rift.

“You hear a lot of comment about our situation at the moment, that we’re fractured as a group, we’ve got issues in the camp… we haven’t,” Stuart said.

“But we’re all very competitive individuals, we’re a club that strives to be a competitive football team that strives to play finals football.

“When you’re in a very volatile, competitive industry, there is always going to be headbutts. I’ve never coached a football team or been coached as a player at a football team where there hasn’t been a few headbutts throughout the year.

“But we’re all men and we get on with it. It is a lot different inside our club than what the comment is outside.

“We don’t win that game tonight if we’re broken inside our club, because I promise you we’re not.”