1. Ricky Stuart was always going to cop some stick if his Canberra Raiders were beaten by Parramatta on Saturday. "Spotted ... Ricky Stuart taking an overhead projector from eels office into raiders dressing room," said one wag on Twitter, in reference to Stuart using such a device when at the Eels to tell players their services were no longer required. With the scoreboard reading Parramatta 36 Canberra 6, a chant of "Ricky, Ricky" went up in the western stand at Pirtek Stadium. "There's nothing wrong with that – it's a bit of fun and banter," said Stuart. "I just appreciate the fact they're still thinking of me." Stuart also told the post-match media conference "I don't read the papers". Except The Newcastle Herald, right Bob Dillon?

2. Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has recounted how he encountered chaos when he returned to the team's room after yesterday's win over Gold Coast to find a player's son had been hit by a vehicle that collects signage. Three-year-old Rocco Heighington, son of second-rower Chris, was said to have escaped serious injury when an object thrown into a dune buggy hit the accelerator and it ran over him. The incident happened while the coach was making his way down to the sheds. "Chris is there, his wife is there, his young boy is there and trying to find out what happened is probably the most concerning thing," Flanagan recalled. "All my attention turned to "was he OK". I forgot about the winning of the game and all our players. He's with mum and dad and he's talking but as I said, they just need to monitor him for a little bit."

Old stomping ground: Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Credit:Jay Cronan

3. Penrith have declined to respond to claims their lock, Trent Merrin, admitted to milking a penalty that got North Queensland captain Matt Scott reported for a crusher tackle on Saturday night at Pepper Stadium. A Panthers spokesman advised us Merrin was "unavailable for comment". This after Scott told assembled media on Saturday night that "Trent said to me at the end of the game that he milked it, so I'm hoping that they take that into account."

4. Warriors captain Ryan Hoffman seems to be becoming increasingly frustrated with match officials. Last week he waited for his coach to speak out against professional fouls before admitting he had wanted to unload at the media conference first. This week he repeatedly approached whistlers Gavin Reynolds and Chris Sutton during the 34-18 defeat to Manly. Asked what he said to Reynolds at halftime, he said: "At halftime I let him know I came to him on quite a few occasions and I was going to make sure the boys worked just as hard as Manly were on stuff like the 10 and around the ruck because I thought we were doing quite well in that department. He obviously thought otherwise." Hoffman said, regarding one call, "I find it hard that five people can get that decision wrong."

5. Gold Coach coach Neil Henry wasn't bagging Cronulla's Michael Ennis for trying to pick up opposite number Nathan Friend despite an apparent bout of concussion at Southern Cross Stadium on Sunday — but he had no doubt it happened. Asked about Greg Bird trying to remove Ennis' head gear, the coach said: "He'd be the first to admit he deserves that sometimes, doesn't he? He's a menace. He tries to lift up our hooker when he's dazed. He cops it and gets it. He's trying to get on with the game but I think normally you leave those players alone to be treated."

6. Steve Matai may actually make his debut for Samoa at the end of this season – at a sprightly 31. "That's right – it depends how the body is at the end of the year," he told Sky TV on Saturday. "It's a long season and I need that rest. If the body's good to go, I'll maybe be playing." Of course, we haven't even been told that Samoa HAS a Test at the end of this season but that's international rugby league for you. Matai had so much family at Saturday's 34-18 Mt Smart Stadium win over the Warriors that he asked for, and got, 30 tickets.