NRL head of football Graham Annesley has weighed in on Canberra coach Ricky Stuart’s post-match storm out following Friday’s preliminary final loss to Melbourne.
A shattered Stuart took just one question after The Green Machine’s 2020 season ended at the hands of the Storm.
His only answer lasted an impressive two-minutes-and-10 seconds, however, the fiery coach stood up and walked out as a journalist fired a follow-up question.
Post-match press conferences are compulsory for coaches to attend but Annesley suggested Stuart is unlikely to face any sanctions for his feisty performance.
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“I’ve heard grabs from the media conference, I didn’t actually watch it,” Annesley told ABC Grandstand.
“… To Ricky’s credit, he didn’t come in and give a one-word answer and walk out.
“I don’t determine those things, they’re determined by other people in the organisation.
“But the one thing I would say is that the rules do require coaches to go to post-match media conferences, they don’t stipulate how long they need to be there for.
“They do require them to answer questions from the media and he got asked a question, he gave an extensive answer and felt that he’d said everything he needed to say.”
Stuart’s effort was not the shortest post-match presser of the season.
South Sydney boss Wayne Bennett took that award with his one-minute-and-20-second effort following the Rabbitohs’ Round 7 loss to Penrith.
Bennett was not fined for that performance, which featured a series of surly answers.
Most post-match interrogations last between four-and-eight minutes.