Canberra chief executive Don Furner says the Raiders are ready to accept any punishment handed down by the NRL due to Ricky Stuart'sStuart's post-match attack on Jaeman Salmon, which could include suspension from future games.
After Penrith's 26 -- 6 defeat of the Raiders, Stuart labelled the Panthers stand-in five-eighth a weak-gutted dog for kicking Tom Starling in the groin.
Salmon ran afoul of the Canberra coach while playing with his son as a pre-teen in 2010, reportedly reducing the younger Stuart to tears in an incident that led to a confrontation between the pair's fathers.
Stuart said on Saturday that ''Where Salmon kicked Tommy, it ain't on.
I have had a history with that kid Salmon. I know that kid very well.
He was a weak-gutted dog as a kid and he hasn't changed now. The Raiders have made their first statement since Stuart's comments, and they said they did not endorse the coach's behaviour but understood it.
We are currently in dialogue with the NRL and cooperating with all of their inquiries, and we do not condone the comments made by Ricky in Saturday night's press conference.
It's a high-pressure job and comes with intense scrutiny from fans, media, and the public, and we understand that emotion is high after a match.
As a club we acknowledge that coaches have a responsibility to conduct themselves professionally when making public comments. The Panthers won't comment on the matter until the NRL Integrity Unit'sNRL Integrity Unit's investigation is completed.
Stuart hasn't spoken to the Panthers or Salmon personally since the incident, but has released a public apology on Sunday.
Salmon pleaded guilty to the grade one contrary conduct charge incurred for the kick and will escape suspension with a $1,000 fine.
The Salmon family urged the NRL to consider a serious sanction in a statement of their own released on Sunday, despite Stuart's public apology.