"Totally unacceptable": Parker slams Ricky for 'gaslighting' Horsburgh

Corey Parker has slammed Ricky Stuart’s post-game reaction to Corey Horsburgh’s sin binning against the Newcastle Knights, accusing the coach of gaslighting him.

In the final six minutes of the match, the Raiders prop was sent off for striking Dane Gagai by slapping him in the face, seeing the Knights go on to score the winning try minutes later.

When asked about the incident, the veteran coach was blunt in his assessment of Horsburgh’s actions.

“It should have been (26-all), and there was a brain explosion,” he said.

“We got a penalty, and it was a f---ing brain explosion, and that's the opportunity.”

Reflecting on the incident, the former Queensland and Australian representative was not impressed by the coach’s handling of the situation.

“He thought Corey Horsburgh has come up with a brain explosion, whether you agree or disagree, right?” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.

“He then thought that they were gonna get a chance to kick it and make it 26-all season on the line.

“For him to gaslight Corey Horsburgh as one of his very own, I think is totally unacceptable, totally unacceptable.

“Now Corey Horsburgh has also been told from the club, if he wants to go and look elsewhere, that he could.

“These two have had some history, so let me put you into context here.

“They had 55 missed tackles. So, let's not talk about 16 players all working hard.

“I'll run you through a couple of statistics. Xavier Savage plays on the wing; he made five (tackles), he missed five. Jed Stuart, his son, made four, he missed five.

“Simi Sasagi missed six. Ata Mariota missed seven tackles, Owen Pattie missed five, the list goes on.”

Parker continued his spray of Stuart, noting that it wasn’t just tackle errors that caused this loss.        

“The first try, Mariota, (Joe) Tapine, and Horsborough missed tackles as they just waltz on through the middle part of the field,” he continued.

“The second try. Jed Stuart missed on Dom Young, Matt Timoko was a poor read, so they scored three tries down their left-hand side.

“Next try, poor left edge defence, the Knights come out of trouble, Jed Stuart and Timoko in trouble again. Xavier Savage with the try line wide open, drops an absolute sitter.

 “The left side, once again, Jed Stuart, Timoko, coming out of their own end, they jam in, they're given an opportunity.

The Broncos legend then took a particular incident involving Tapine towards the conclusion of the match.

“Here's the kicker,” Parker explained.

“It's 24-all, game on the line, season on the line. Their captain Joey Tapine, sitting right beside Ricky Stuart when he's teed off and he's isolated, and he's gas lit, Corey Horsburgh.

“Who was the one to give the penalty away for Kalyn Ponga to kick a two-point penalty shot to go up 26-24? It was a Joseph Tapine high shot.

“Late in the game, ill-disciplined to give the Newcastle Knights an opportunity to kick a goal and kick away to 26-24.

“So, you go back to six minutes to go in that game when all that happened, and he is isolating Corey Horsburgh, where they wouldn't have got the penalty anyway, because it was a high shot, cause Kalyn Ponga challenged the decision.

“Yes, he got 10 in the bin; there was six minutes remaining, but to single out an individual like that when your team has 55 missed tackles, ill-discipline and other players, including your very own son, has got all this to do with it.

“I think it's totally unacceptable.”

Ricky ravages Horsburgh over "f---ing brain explosion"

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has expressed his frustrations with Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh after the 28-year-old incurred a last-minute sin bin in their loss to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

With the scores 24-26 in favour of the Knights with six minutes left on the clock, the Raiders initially received a penalty.

However, that was quickly overturned with the Queensland representative being sent to the bin for the remainder of the match after striking Knights veteran Dane Gagai in the head with a slap.

Newcastle made full advantage of the extra man with Dominic Young scoring a sealing try to put the result beyond doubt to win 24-30 at GIO Stadium.

In the press conference following the match, he admitted it was a costly error by the 133-game player.

“It should have been 28-all (26-all), and there was a brain explosion,” Stuart lamented.

“We got a penalty, and it was a f---ing brain explosion, and that's the opportunity.”

When asked whether he agreed with the decision, the former Raider had no sympathy for his player.

“Of course it was (the right call),” he said.

“There was one last week or the week before with Alex Twal (on Jaeman Salmon in Round 20).

“Everyone knows that you're not allowed to do that. That's just  in the rules; it's been in the rules for the last many, many years.”

While Canberra's season is all but over, the Raiders will look to claim some wins before their premiership season closes.

Their next match is against Cronulla at Ocean Protect Stadium this coming Saturday with kick-off taking place at 3pm AEST.

SEN League will have live coverage of the match across our radio network and on the SEN app from 12pm AEST with Crunch Time NRL.