- Ricky Stuart denied he has any animosity towards Des Hasler
- Coaches were at loggerheads after recent NRL game
- Friendship dates back to peak playing days in early 1990s
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has hosed down suggestions of a feud with Titans counterpart Des Hasler following their ugly confrontation outside the dressing room in Canberra on April 14.
The Canberra great, 57, and Hasler, 63, traded barbs in the aftermath of the Raiders’ controversial 21-20 victory that saw a Titans field goal attempt from Kieran Foran smothered by an offside Chevy Stewart – but no penalty was blown.
Stuart declared Hasler was ‘on another planet’ after the Titans mentor blasted the refereeing of Kasey Badger in the post game press conference.
Stuart fired back and accused the Titans of ‘cheating’ by wrestling his players to slow down the ruck – and then several witnesses confirmed the fired up Raiders coach uttered ”f*** you’ to Hasler as tensions threatened to boil over.
It comes despite the pair having a seemingly long-running friendship, playing for the NSW Blues in the halves in their must-win State of Origin II match in Melbourne back in 1990.
Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has hosed down suggestions of a feud with Gold Coast Titans counterpart Des Hasler
Stuart declared Hasler was ‘on another planet’ after the Titans mentor blasted the refereeing of Kasey Badger in the post game press conference on April 14
Raiders players celebrate a field goal by Jamal Fogarty that sealed a 21-20 win over the winless Titans
Off the back of that performance in Origin, both Stuart and Hasler were picked for the 1990 Kangaroos tour of Great Britain and France.
Speaking ahead of the Raiders’ clash with the Broncos this weekend, Stuart declared he has zero animosity towards Hasler, whose team remains winless in 2024.
‘There’s not one issue between us,’ Stuart told News Corp.
‘Des and I know what happened and it’s up to the others to speculate. I can’t change that.
‘Look, we were just two men looking after our own footy teams and that’s it.
‘I’ve known Des for a long time. It’s finished between us and we’re moving on.’
Hasler quipped on Friday that his disagreement with Stuart was ‘the biggest gee-up ever, we played them [reporters] off a break.’
