Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has mounted a stern defence following a career-best performance from his halfback Ethan Sanders, saying the 22-year-old has, like Origin superstar Nathan Cleary, been unfairly maligned by pundits.
Sanders shone during the Raiders' 40-16 trouncing of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Saturday, scoring 16 points and posting four try assists in the strongest performance of his 21-game career.
That included an impressive cross-field kick to land second-rower Zac Hosking the first of a hat-trick of tries, and a grubber kick to the in-goal for Simi Sasagi to put the Green Machine 36 points in front. He also slotted over five out of six attempted conversions and three penalties.
Lumped with the formidable task of replacing Jamal Fogarty following his move to Manly, Sanders has struggled to hit the high notes many expected of him in 2026.
But much like his fellow No.7 Cleary, all the 22-year-old needed to silence his doubters was the right support, Stuart opined after the Raiders' triumph.
"We've all been critical of Nathan Cleary in his Origin," he said.
"Ethan Sanders has been criticised and targeted, and I don't reckon the NSW Origin middles have delivered for Nathan, and they did the other night.
"Now we've got some middles back, and our middles delivered tonight.
"Class comes on the back of your forwards doing their job and giving you a platform to play off. Then to play like Nathan and play like Ethan, who's just learning, obviously it makes it a lot easier."
After a poor run of form that's resulted in the Raiders slipping to 12th on the ladder, the team's above-expectations performance left Stuart feeling vindicated.
"It's very hard for me to sit here when we're getting beaten and telling you what I think I know, because you're only going to get bashed up socially and bashed up publicly," he said.
"Those dicks don't know."
Cleary's Wally Lewis Medal-winning outing in Wednesday's Origin decider, backed up by clinical work by prop Payne Haas, beat back the vitriol he had been served after a forgettable game two.
Stuart said halfbacks like Sanders operating without sturdy middle forwards face uphill battles on the field and against the pundits.
"It's hard kicking on the back foot, it's hard playing on the back foot, and that's what Sanders had to endure or handle over the last number of months," he said.
A slew of injuries has cost the Raiders' season dearly but the team is piecing itself back together in time for a possible late finals tilt, with only centre Seb Kris still nursing a hamstring injury.
Second-rowers Noah Martin and Zac Hosking, who registered a combined four tries against the Bulldogs on Saturday, are recent discharges from the casualty ward.
But even with a full contingent, looming fixtures against Penrith, Newcastle and Cronulla spell a choppy route to the top eight for 2025's minor premiers.
