Raiders coach Ricky Stuart reveals whether recent Des Hasler blue outside the dressing room in Canberra ruined a 35-year friendship
- Ricky Stuart denied harboring any animosity towards Des Hasler
- Coaches were at loggerheads after the recent NRL match
- The friendship goes back to the peak days of the early 1990s
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has washed down suggestions of a feud with Titans counterpart Des Hasler after their ugly confrontation outside the dressing room in Canberra on April 14.
The Canberra big, 57, and Hasler, 63, traded barbs in the aftermath of the Raiders’ controversial 21-20 victory, with Kieran Foran’s Titans field goal attempt smothered by an offside Chevy Stewart – but no penalty was awarded datum.
Stuart stated that Hasler was “on another planet” after the Titans’ mentor criticized Kasey Badger’s referee during the post-match press conference.
Stuart fired back, accusing the Titans of ‘cheating’ by wrestling his players to delay the ruck – and then several witnesses confirmed the fired-up Raiders coach said ‘f*** you’ to Hasler as tensions threatened to boil over to cook.
It comes despite the pair having an apparently long-standing friendship and playing half for the NSW Blues in their must-win State of Origin II match in Melbourne in 1990.
Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has washed down suggestions of a feud with Gold Coast Titans counterpart Des Hasler
Stuart declared Hasler was “on another planet” after the Titans’ mentor criticized Kasey Badger’s referee during the post-game press conference on April 14
Raiders players celebrate a Jamal Fogarty field goal that sealed a 21-20 win over the winless Titans
Following that Origin performance, both Stuart and Hasler were picked for the 1990 Kangaroos tour of Britain and France.
Ahead of the Raiders’ clash with the Broncos this weekend, Stuart stated he has no animosity towards Hasler, whose team remains winless in 2024.
“There’s not one problem between us,” Stuart said News Corp.
‘Des and I know what happened and it is up to the others to speculate. I can’t change that.
“Look, we were just two guys looking after our own football teams, and that was it.
‘I’ve known Des for a long time. It’s over between us and we’re moving on.’
Hasler joked Friday that his disagreement with Stuart was “the biggest joke ever, we played against them [reporters] short break.’