Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart has denied reports that he will leave the club to take up a coaching position with the Canberra, insisting he has had no contact with the Raiders about coaching there in 2014.
Stuart admitted he was 'embarrassed' as his side capitulated 54-6 to the Newcastle Knights at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon, but denied speculation that he was leaving the club to take up a post at the Raiders.
"I haven't spoken to Canberra it's a simple as that. It's not on my mind," Stuart said after to 10-tries-to-one shellacking at the hands of the Knights.
"What more can I say? I have read all the speculation too.
"I haven't officially spoken to Canberra – that is all I can go with that.
"I am contracted to Parramatta. I haven't spoken to anyone about going anywhere else."
Stuart admitted that he had a 'get out' clause in his contract with the Eels but denied he was exercising that loophole to link up with the Raiders.
And while he said that the club's board and factions surrounding it were hindering the club and was the reason he had a 'get out clause' in his contract, he said it wasn't an excuse for the team's dismal performance this season.
"It (the board) is not an excuse for how we are playing," Stuart said.
"One hundred per cent (it is holding the club back). But it is not so much the board sitting there now either but it is all the factions and all the fighting around it."
Away from his own future Stuart said he was embarrassed by the loss to the Knights.
"It was an awful way to finish off what has been a very tough season," he said.
"I didn't say a lot (to the players) because I didn't want to say the wrong thing. But I am in it with them and I am very embarrassed and I just hope they have the same feelings."
Despite all the negativity Stuart said that he could still find some positives to take from the game and the season in general.
"I think we have debuted a couple of good first graders for the future like Joey Ualesi, Kelepi Tanganoa and Junior Paulo, who I thought was very good when he was on there in that type of result today," Stuart said.
"But I feel for blokes like Daniel Harrison who had to play at right centre today, he is not a centre.
"I had to play a back-rower at five-eight (Rene Maitua), I had to play a front rower in the back row (Darcy Lussick) which you do at times of injuries.
"It is hard and I feel sorry for those young blokes and on days like this no-one believes there is blue skies around."
Source: http://www.sportal.com.au/league/news/nrl-premiership/stuart-plays-down-raiders-move-251875
Topic: Stuart plays down Raiders move
