NRL 2020: Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart blasts bunker after loss to Melbourne Storm

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has once again criticised the bunker after his side's costly 20-14 loss to the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night. 

Midway through the first half, the Raiders were reduced to 12 men after wing Bailey Simonsson was sent to the sin bin when he was ruled to have taken out Josh Addo-Carr in a try scoring position.

The Storm would go onto score in the ensuing set which set the tempo for the game. 

Stuart did his best to keep calm in the press conference, but was furious with the decisions that went against his side.

"The try when we had a man down, we should never have been a man down," says Stuart.

"There's no way in the world he should have been sent to the sin bin. I don't want to make a big issue of it but I don't understand how we use all this technology and money and still get it wrong.

"There is no way Bailey Simonsson should have been sent from the field when he was going for the football as well.

"They got it wrong."

Things went from bad to worse for the Raiders during the match as Simonsson was later taken off the field with a shoulder injury, while co-captain Josh Hodgson is set to miss the remainder of the season with a suspected ACL injury. 

Like the NZ Warriors, the Raiders' forwards stocks are starting to look depleted with Hodgson joining John Bateman (shoulder), Sia Soliola (facial fractures), Corey Horsburgh (foot) and Emre Guler (ankle) on the sideline. 

"We're hoping we can find somewhere tomorrow to scan Josh but it doesn't look good, it looks like the ACL," Stuart added. 

"I haven't had [a bigger injury toll] but I just asked the boys after the game to keep turning up with that same attitude and desire with their competitiveness."

Even Storm coach Craig Bellamy had sympathy for the wounded Raiders, who face the Sydney Roosters in a Grand Final rematch on Thursday night. 

"I thought both sides hung in pretty well with the situations that happened in the game," says Bellamy. 

Josh Hodgson.
Josh Hodgson. Photo credit: Getty

"There was a lot of disruption for the Raiders with Josh going off early. He's a very important player in their team and the [Bailey Simonsson] sin-binning as well plus the try where they lost the ball before the line.

Earlier, the Brisbane Broncos snapped their six game losing streak with a 26-8 win over the struggling Canterbury Bulldogs. 

NZ international Jamayne Isaako scored two of the Broncos' five tries, while slotting two conversions and a penalty goal. 

Broncos coach Anthony Seibold was pleased to get the win after the most challenging period of his short coaching career. 

"I love working with the group, we haven't got the results but it's not been a lack of effort or not trying, but you certainly go to bed a little bit happier after a win," he said.

"It's been a challenging six weeks but I'll keep working hard until I'm no longer required and hopefully that's in a few years' time."

Elsewhere, the Penrith Panthers moved to the top of the NRL standings after a commanding 56-24 win over the Cronulla Sharks. 

Charlie Staines.
Charlie Staines. Photo credit: Getty

Winger Charlie Staines made history as he scored four of the Panthers 10 tries, becoming the first player to score four tries on debut since Gold Coast's Jordan Atkins in 2008. 

"To even play this week was a dream come true, I'm just lost for words at the moment," Staines told Fox Sports after the game.

"To score even one try on debut, but four tries, it's unreal."

The Parramatta Eels could leapfrog the Panthers in the standings if they beat the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon.