KEY POINTS:
Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart apologised yesterday to the English match officials he blamed for Australia's loss to New Zealand in the Rugby League World Cup final but the belated back-down comes as he faces a review of his job.
An investigation continues into exactly what Stuart said and did in the foyer of the Brisbane hotel where he confronted the England Rugby Football league director of referees Stuart Cummings and the match whistler Ashley Klein.
The expanding range of witnesses now have Stuart walking straight at Klein in a rage and calling him "the c*** who cost us the World Cup", then shoulder-charging Cummings who had stepped between the men to intervene.
It appears there is some split between the New South Wales administrators and management within the Australian Rugby League and those from Queensland over the reaction required to Stuart's unprecedented outburst. The NSW directors have spoken with each other then made a public statement in support of Stuart retaining the job to which he is appointed to the end of 2009. One NSW director, Terry Quinn, unbelievably added he thought Stuart was
"good for the game". Those from north of the border have been conspicuously quiet. The issue will be top of the agenda when the board meets on December 9.
After leaving Sydney on holiday and saying nothing for the 10 days following the verbal, Stuart issued his apology through Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper, for which he writes a weekly column.
"Still on my mind were the disappointed faces of my players who had worked so hard during the tournament," he said in explanation.
He deeply regretted losing control, on Wednesday sent Cummings and Klein an apology and was trying to contact both men to deliver it personally.
"It's a hard thing for me to admit, but I was certainly not in control of my emotions at the time and acted irresponsibly and irrationally but that is not an excuse for my behaviour," Stuart wrote in the newspaper.
Response from readers was not supportive, with comments suggesting he should resign before he is sacked.
Stuart's dummy-spit about the refereeing costing the Kangaroos was not backed up by the official match review which has declared Klein and video referee Steve Ganson were correct in the rulings they made on tries which Stuart specified. Klein made just two mistakes in the 80 minutes, one favouring the Kiwis and one Australia.
World Cup referees reviewer Greg McCallum said the pair performed well and neither made mistakes that affected the outcome.
Meanwhile the ARL issued a statement denying the team had left the ground early and shunned the after-match function.
ARL secretary Geoff Carr said the team did not want runners-up medals presented on stage in front of the crowd because that was not the tradition.
"The decision not to present runners-up medals was taken by organisers without the knowledge of the Australian team or its immediate management," Carr said. He added that the decision came "after more senior Australian Rugby League officials suggested during the match that it was not in keeping with traditional post-test presentations to present runner-up medals on stage regardless of who had won". They weren't going to the after-match anyway, Carr inferred.
"The Australian team had been told by tournament organisers they would not be required at the post-match function well before the game and this had nothing to do with the result."
So they are still sore losers.
You have to wonder whether Ricky Stuart's over-wound mind created an atmosphere of such intensity in the Kangaroos camp that they "blew arse".
There is no doubt that the Kiwis played without a fear of losing. By the second half, the Kangaroos were playing like a team in fear of losing and so came the crucial errors from Billy Slater who threw a wild pass that cost a try and the hit on Lance Hohaia by Joel Monaghan which cost a penalty try.
There was an interesting post-match comment from the Kangaroos lock and Stuart's captain at the Sharks club Paul Gallen: "We knew we'd have to play bad but we didn't play that bad", Gallen said, mouthing Stuart's "we-wuz-robbed" refrain.
But inherent in that remark is that they played bad.
The Kiwis played good, right to the extent of their potential. They made few mistakes, missed very few tackles. They clearly played for each other and for their coach, Stephen Kearney. They played for 80 minutes.
There is no doubt Kearney's assistant, the former Kangaroos coach, Wayne Bennett, built in the Kiwis players a belief that they could rise to the occasion. He instilled an understanding that they should respect the ability of their opponents, but had no reason to give any regard to reputations during 80 minutes of football where anything can happen.
The Kiwis fully deserved their victory after executing a smart game-plan with precision. You don't lose by 14 points because of a couple of refereeing mistakes, a fact Stuart and other coaches should be well aware of. Sure, the Kiwis got the "bounce of the ball" but they made their own luck.
And they made that luck while the Kangaroos players were trying illegalities including hold-downs, grapples and strips in a desperate attempt to stop the Kiwis' momentum.
The report into what is already labelled "inappropriate and offensive" behaviour by Stuart which is being prepared by investigator Robert Weber (senior counsel in NSW High Court) will go to the Rugby League International Federation this week.
The Kangaroos might be better off without Stuart. However, the Kiwis might be better off if they keep him.
