http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...s/news-story/73e030bfc457281069275769ac62cc43
Stuart’s scathing theory for Manly debacle
CANBERRA coach Ricky Stuart has called on Manly players to show support for coach Trent Barrett after presenting a scathing theory into Manly’s messy Jackson Hastings headache.
Embattled amid the Jackson Hastings and Daly Cherry-Evans off-field fiasco, Manly have now lost three in a row and completed just 15 sets and had only 42 per cent of the ball in their loss to Parramatta at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The club has been reeling since Barrett sensationally declared Hastings will likely spend the rest of the season in reserve grade following reports Manly players refused to play alongside the former Roosters star.
It comes as captain Daly Cherry-Evans was hit with a $10,000 fine for his role in a series of incidents with Hastings, including a reported bust-up in Gladstone in central Queensland two weeks ago where the pair had to reportedly be separated by teammates before their round five game against the Titans.
Following their embarrassing 44-10 loss to the Eels, Barrett refused to elaborate on the decision to banish Hastings to the NSW Cup
“It’s been a very, very ordinary week,” Barrett said.
“It’s really difficult. But it’s my job to look after the players. The players have got to take some responsibility for it too and so do I.”
It comes after reports claimed the decision to banish Hastings was not supported unanimously within the Manly playing group with several players sending the utility messages of support this week.
Channel 9 reported stars Martin Taupau, Jorge Taufua and Joel Thompson are among a group of Sea Eagles to privately support Hastings, despite the club’s decision to move him on from Manly’s first-string playing squad.
It all went wrong on Sunday.
Source:AAP
Manly players’ response to the Hastings decision — based on their woeful performances against the Eels and Tigers — has led to questions surrounding the level of support Barrett had from the playing group to stand Hastings down.
However, Stuart on Sunday came out and presented a scathing assessment of Manly’s playing group following a claim players have failed to play for their coach after he was told by the playing group to remove Hastings.
“I’m friends with Trent so I’ll probably be a little bit biased, but I know Trent’s a good coach and I know he’s a good person,” Stuart told Fox League’s
The Matty Johns Show.
“What Trent came out and said this week during the press conference, I thought it took a lot of courage and he came out and tried to be honest in regards to what his decision was going to be.
“He wouldn’t have said that about young Hastings — and I don’t know young Hastings and I hope that everything goes well for him — but, he wouldn’t have said what he said unless players didn’t make him aware of it and tell him and the players have turned around and obviously they’ve not supported him.”
He said if it is true that Manly players have backflipped on their decision to demand Hastings be stood down then it is a situation he “wouldn’t like to be coaching”.
When asked by Fox League’s Emma Freedman about the “tricky spot” Manly players have put their coach in by playing so poorly after his bold stand against Hastings, Stuart called on Manly players to back him up.
“Well, what a poor bloke who would go and say that to the coach and then turn around and make a different choice or call on it,” he said.
“I wouldn’t like to be coaching that.
“Trent’s had to make a tough call, but he has to have the support of his boys too.”
Barrett also called on his players to “stick together”.
“We are under the pump,” he said.
“We are in a hole. The only way out is for us to stick together and fight our way out of it.”
