Short answer (IMO), Yes
There are a number of reasons that I believe Canberra will retain Stuart for this season and most likely next season.
1. Canberra have always been a very loyal club to their head coaches, I am sure Furner was the first to be sacked in Canberra's 33 year history. I am a massive fan of Furner as a player, coach and man but in terms of success he had to move on, five seasons of very mixed results with quite a good squad was not good enough.
2. I hate blaming the coach for poor on field efforts. If you want to run hard do it, if you want to make a tackle do it with a purpose. There are always times when you are beaten by better teams and players and even though the Dragons were the better team for 50 minutes of yesterdays match the tries that Canberra let in, particularly Merrin and Rein were very soft.
3. Canberra are the only team that can consistently blow big leads. I can think of at least six times in the past for seasons they have lost a game after leading by 16 or more. I don't think this is a reflection on Stuart in anyway as it has been happening pre Stuart.
4. Despite limited on field success so far I think Stuart has made some tough and very good calls for the long term future. Soliola & Hodgson are killing it, Austin will be an excellent running six and the tough decisions such as moving on Campo TLL and most likely Shillo are very good ones.
5. Canberra's spine has less than 100 games between them and only two together so far (Wighton was out this last loss). Once they get more cohesion and consistency and work off the back of the massive forwards they will be a good team. The inexperience of the halves, particularly Cornish was evident yesterday. 18-0 up and then 20-12 with ten to play and the Dragons a man down is the time that a good half takes control and puts the game to bed. Reynolds, Hodkinson, Soward, Cronk and DCE would have all done this as they are experienced halves.
6. I see big improvements already in Canberra as a team compared to last year. Stuart seems to have a plan and he is building the side he wants, I am confident that it will come together over the course of this season, it is only round 3 an they haven't played that bad. This season Canberra's defence has shown more line speed, intensity and mongrel than it has in many years.The only criticism I will have of Stuart so far is keeping McCrone in the 17 (I think Baptiste should be the bench hooker) and I don't think Ed Lee is a centre, not yet anyway. He is far better on the wing where he can jump for the high kicks and get in one on one situations more.
7. Lastly in relation to yesterdays game I conceed that the Dragons were the much better team for the last 50 minutes however in the context of the final score how bigger a call was the Austin no try for a double movement. That was a ridiculous decision and I won't say it cost Canberra the game but 24-0 as opposed to 18-0 just seems to hold that massive psychological edge in today's game.
