Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart rules himself out of NSW Blues State of Origin job

But the Canberra Raiders coach felt there wasn't a desire for the board to allow NRL coaches to take the reins of the Blues.

Given that, Stuart said it was a moot point whether someone in charge of a club could also handle State of Origin duties.

The NRL Hall of Famer has been linked with the NSW coaching job in the wake of the Blues' 32-6 capitulation to Queensland on Wednesday night.

That heavy defeat, which resulted in a 2-0 series win to the Maroons, meant it's unlikely NSW coach Brad Fittler will have his contract extended beyond this year.

It's seen Stuart, Raiders assistant coach Michael Maguire, Matty Johns and Trent Barrett become part of a large list of possibilities to take over.

But Stuart's contracted to the Green Machine until the end of 2025 and pointed to the policy preventing him from taking up the role.

He's had two stints as Blues coach - once in 2005 when he was also the Sydney Roosters coach and then again in 2011-12 when he became the first standalone Blues coach in the wake of the Canavan Report.

The board took on board the report's suggestion to copy Queensland's model, which had Mal Meninga as the Maroons' standalone coach.

Meninga had won five consecutive series and was on his way to nine wins from 10 series in charge.

NSWRL won't make a decision on Fittler until they've conducted their annual review into the series - which won't happen until after game three at Homebush on July 12.

Stuart said there was no point talking about whether an NRL coach could handle both jobs because of the policy in place.

"There's rules in place, mate, that NRL coaches can't do it," he said.

"I don't think it's going to change, so we're probably speculating over something that you should be asking them the question, not me."

Stuart felt for Fittler - who he coached to a premiership at the Roosters in 2002.

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He could relate to what he was going through, having been on both sides of the Origin coin.

Stuart won the 2005 series, but lost both the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to Meninga.

He will reach out to Fittler when the time was right.

"It's a tough job. Brad's the coach. I'm feeling for Brad at the moment because I've won a series and I've lost a series," Stuart said.

"I know how empty it is and how lonely it is. It's very easy to be sitting up in the top decks throwing rocks.

"When you're there you feel lonely in these situations and I feel for Brad at this moment, but time will heal that."

In the wake of a thrilling two-game Women's Origin series, which the Maroons narrowly won by four points on combined scores, Stuart said it was time to bring them in line with the men.

"We need three games now, not the two games where you look at the accumulated points. But it was a good win for the NSW girls [on Thursday]," he said.

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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