![Could Raiders coach Ricky Stuart coach NSW for a third time? Picture by Les Smith Could Raiders coach Ricky Stuart coach NSW for a third time? Picture by Les Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/f1a35519-dfc0-40d8-a776-feb2e3e6b482.jpg/r0_0_2953_1660_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ricky Stuart has been thrust into the State of Origin coaching conversation as the NSW Blues search for answers after a straight-sets series defeat.
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Blues coach Brad Fittler is unlikely to have his contract renewed following back-to-back series losses to Queensland.
The Canberra Raiders coach has been put forward as an option for next year, along with his assistant coach Michael Maguire and NRL Immortal Andrew Johns.
Canberra's board is aware of the talk, but have not discussed it yet given Fittler is still in the role.
Stuart is contracted with the Raiders until the end of 2025 and would have to juggle the job with his full-time club duties.
He's already had two stints as NSW coach, having been at the helm in 2005 - when he was also the Sydney Roosters coach - and then again in 2011-12.
Fittler has been in charge since 2018, winning three of the six series he's coached.
![Blues second-rower Hudson Young said the Origin loss "hurts bad". Picture Getty Images Blues second-rower Hudson Young said the Origin loss "hurts bad". Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/50596adf-5d07-4f7e-bb8e-d999864b1bfe.jpg/r0_335_6024_3735_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But the Maroons' 32-6 victory in Origin II at Lang Park on Wednesday has likely brought his time to an end.
Raiders and Blues second-rower Hudson Young said they were desperate to finish the series with a win for Fittler.
Young helped set up the Blues' only try in Game II, which was also his second Origin, and was hopeful he'd done enough to keep his spot for the final game.
The 25-year-old looked more at home second time around, having had limited minutes in Game I.
He said the group was determined to win the third game for "Freddy" Fittler, who had come under increasing pressure throughout the series.
"Yeah for sure, but look, Freddy's not out there playing the game," Young said.
"At the end of the day it's us that's out there and he's shown a lot of faith over the years to NSW players and we'll be doing the same for him in Game III.
"We've got a job to do for him and for the state, and the last thing we want is to go 3-nil down."
Young said he'd pulled up well from Origin II and was "good to go" for the Raiders' crucial clash against the Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
The main toll had been emotionally, having suffered the pain of two straight losses.
But the Raiders match-winner felt he'd started to play the football that had got him into the Blues team in the first place.
It was his run and offload that led to Damien Cook's try - the only one for NSW on the night.
Now he's switched his focus to the Roosters and getting the Green Machine back to winning ways after they had the weekend off with the bye.
"After a tough loss in State of Origin and it hurts bad losing the series," Young said.
"It's everything you want in footy is to win an Origin series and represent your state, and be proud to do that.
"Hopefully turn it around with a good win for the Raiders on Sunday against the Roosters.
"You need to switch your focus and you need to move on fast because footy's got a short memory.
"I've got a job to go out and perform well for Canberra and hopefully get the two points against them."
Young was ruing the missed opportunity to create NSW history - they haven't won a game two at Lang Park to keep the series alive since 1998.
"I feel I got back to my style of footy last night. Obviously it wasn't enough to get the win last night," he said.
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"I felt individually I played the way that I play and just wish we won.
"It just sucks going down to them up there. It would've been such a great moment for the team and for the state to be able to go up there and win. It wasn't to be."
Young will have an important role to play in keeping Rooster Joey Manu quiet in his return to the centres.
Manu has been playing at five-eighth and fullback for the Roosters recently, but he's back in the more familiar role on Sunday.
Young was confident the Raiders' left edge - consisting of himself, co-captain Jarrod Croker, Jack Wighton and Albert Hopoate - would be able to handle the New Zealand international.
"He'll be in the centres, probably on my edge. He's a world-class player, so we'll have to be on our A-game and I'm sure Jarrod will handle him fine," he said.
"We work as an edge. I've got Jack and Hoppa there, so we'll be working as an edge to shut them down."
Young used fellow-second-rowers Liam Martin and Tyson Frizell as role models to help him return to Canberra a better player.
Martin has won back-to-back NRL premierships with Penrith, as well as last year's World Cup with Australia, while Frizell was part of Australia's successful 2017 World Cup campaign.
"It's probably just the way everyone prepares. They're such leaders in their own way, everyone, and to be able to soak it up around players like Tyson Frizell and Liam Martin - he's won competitions and World Cups," Young said.
"It's just taking little things from the way that they prepare and how they carry themselves and conduct themselves around the group every day."
NRL ROUND 17
Sunday: Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders at the Sydney Football Stadium, 6.15pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Sebastian Kris, 2. Albert Hopoate, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Josh Papali'i, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Nick Cotric, 17. Pasami Saulo. Reserves: 18. Matt Frawley, 19. Xavier Savage, 20. Ata Mariota, 21. Danny Levi, 22. Peter Hola.
Roosters squad: 1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Billy Smith, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Junior Pauga, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Jake Turpin, 10. Lindsay Collins, 11. Egan Butcher, 12. Sitili Tupouniua, 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Angus Crichton, 15. Nathan Brown, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Naufahu Whyte. Reserves: 18. Terrell May, 19. Drew Hutchison, 20. Corey Allan, 21. Jaxson Paulo, 22. Zach Dockar-Clay.
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