Canberra Raiders hit with $10,000 NRL breach notice over Ricky Stuart spray (ABC)

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Canberra Raiders hit with $10,000 NRL breach notice over Ricky Stuart spray Raiders hit with breach notice over Stuart spray

The NRL has issued the Canberra Raiders with a $10,000 breach notice following coach Ricky Stuart's comments about refereeing last weekend.

The Raiders succumbed to a 26-20 loss to the Penrith Panthers in Canberra on Sunday, prompting a post-match spray from Stuart, slating the referee's performance.

"I've been involved in some clangers in my career ... and I tell you, that takes the cake today," Stuart said after his side's loss to the Panthers.

"It's laughable. The referees today were not up to standard of first grade referees."

NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said the NRL had a duty to protect match officials against excessive criticism.

"Coaches have every right to comment on the refereeing of a match and to be critical of particular decisions," Greenberg said in an NRL statement.

"But those comments should not be excessive or damage the image of the game - and that is what has happened in this case.

"We have to take a stand against this kind of commentary or it will open the door for coaches to do the same thing week after week.

"That is not in the best interests of the game."

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