Corey Parker has launched a fierce attack on Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, accusing him of “gaslighting” Corey Horsburgh after publicly blaming the forward for the Raiders’ season-ending loss to Newcastle.
Horsburgh was sent to the sin bin with six minutes remaining in Canberra’s 30-24 defeat after slapping Knights centre Dane Gagai in the face.
The Raiders were trailing 26-24 when referee Ashley Klein initially awarded Canberra a penalty following the altercation. After the Bunker reviewed the incident, the decision was reversed and Horsburgh was penalised, placed on report and dismissed for the remainder of the match.
Dominic Young subsequently crossed for his second try to secure Newcastle’s victory and effectively end Canberra’s finals hopes.
Stuart did not attempt to defend Horsburgh after the match.
“It should have been 26-all, and there was a brain explosion,” Stuart said.
“We got a penalty, and it was a f***ing brain explosion, and that’s the opportunity.”
Parker accuses Stuart of isolating Horsburgh
Speaking on SENQ Breakfast, Parker argued Stuart had unfairly presented Horsburgh’s mistake as the defining reason Canberra lost.
“For him to gaslight Corey Horsburgh as one of his very own, I think is totally unacceptable—totally unacceptable,” Parker said.
The former Brisbane, Queensland and Australian forward did not excuse Horsburgh’s actions. Instead, he questioned why Stuart singled out one player when Canberra made numerous costly errors throughout the match.
The comments were reported by news.com.au.
“They had 55 missed tackles,” Parker said.
“So, let’s not talk about 16 players all working hard.
“Xavier Savage plays on the 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 points to Tapine penalty
Parker also highlighted a late high-tackle penalty conceded by Canberra captain Joseph Tapine.
With the scores level at 24-24, Tapine’s high contact gave Newcastle the opportunity to reclaim the lead through a Sandon Smith penalty goal.
“Here’s the kicker,” Parker said.
“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 gaslit 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.”
Parker incorrectly named Ponga as the player who kicked the penalty goal. Official match records show Knights halfback Sandon Smith converted it.
That factual error does not change Parker’s broader argument that Canberra’s defeat involved several damaging mistakes before Horsburgh’s sin-binning.
“Yes, he got 10 in the bin; there were six minutes remaining,” Parker continued.
“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.”
Was Stuart’s criticism justified?
Stuart’s frustration was understandable.
Canberra had been awarded possession in attacking territory with an opportunity to level the scores. Horsburgh’s retaliation transformed that opportunity into a Newcastle penalty and left the Raiders playing with 12 men.
When Stuart was asked whether the sin-bin decision was correct, he offered no sympathy.
“Of course it was,” he said.
“There was one last week. Everyone knows that—you’re not allowed to do that. It’s in the rules. It’s been in the rules for the last many, many years.”
Horsburgh was subsequently charged with a Grade 1 contrary conduct offence and faced a $1,800 fine with an early guilty plea.
Parker’s criticism was therefore not that Horsburgh had done nothing wrong. His argument was that a coach publicly attributing a loss to one incident ignored the collective errors that placed Canberra in such a vulnerable position.
Stuart went further than simply criticising the act.
“It wasn’t everybody’s fault,” the Raiders coach said.
“There were 16 other blokes out there that put up a massive effort. It was one s*** bloody choice that cost us.”
That comment appeared to absolve the rest of the team while placing responsibility directly on Horsburgh, explaining why Parker reacted so strongly.
Horsburgh’s Raiders future under growing cloud
The public dispute has intensified uncertainty surrounding Horsburgh’s future in Canberra.
Horsburgh remains contracted to the Raiders until the end of 2027 after signing a two-year extension during the 2023 season.
However, his relationship with Stuart has reportedly become increasingly strained.
The pair endured a difficult period in 2024 when Horsburgh was dropped to reserve grade, and reports now indicate Canberra may permit him to leave if another club assumes his 2027 contract.
Brisbane, the Dolphins and Gold Coast have all been linked with the Queensland representative, with the Broncos reportedly monitoring Horsburgh’s situation.
The Perth Bears have also been mentioned as a possible destination.
Horsburgh is understood to be interested in returning to Queensland, although no release or new contract has been officially confirmed.
Relationship may have reached breaking point
Stuart has regularly defended his players throughout his coaching career, making the public nature of his criticism particularly significant.
NRL 360 host Braith Anasta, who played under Stuart at the Sydney Roosters, said he was surprised by the coach’s response.
“I was expecting Ricky was going to blow up about the sin bin, but instead it was [directed] at Corey,” Anasta said.
“You don’t see that often.”
Whether Parker’s use of “gaslighting” accurately describes Stuart’s comments is a matter of interpretation. What cannot be disputed is that the coach isolated Horsburgh’s mistake as the decisive moment in Canberra’s defeat.
Horsburgh deserved criticism for an avoidable act at a critical stage.
But Parker’s central question remains valid: should one player carry public responsibility for a loss in which the Raiders missed 55 tackles, conceded 30 points and made several other decisive errors?
With Canberra’s season effectively over and Horsburgh’s future already uncertain, Stuart’s comments may prove to be more than a post-match outburst.
They may have marked the end of the relationship.
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