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Ricky Stuart knows how fortunate he is. We see him on the sideline riding the highs and lows with the Canberra Raiders. He doesn't like the attention it brings as the punters watch elation and frustration boil over. He loves being able to switch off when he goes home to his wife Kaylie and their kids. It is the same story for his players, but they won't have to wait all day to see their loves ones after they play this weekend. Game day falls on Mother's Day. That's why there will be some new faces in the change rooms before the Raiders take on the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium on Sunday. Wives, partners and mothers have been invited into the rooms and they will play a "big part" in the final part of coach Ricky Stuart's presentation before the Raiders march onto the field. "I’m very fortunate, I know how important a role it is that mothers, your wife, and your children play in the daily life of being a coach or a player," Stuart said. "Honestly I will never ever underestimate the pressure they are put under, and I will never ever underestimate the value of their care. I think that’s a really important focus point on why we are recognising the mothers on the weekend. "When you lose a game of football, they lose too, and when you win one, they enjoy the high as well. At times our mums, wives, partners, they feel it more so than yourself because it’s not always a beautiful ride being the wife or a partner of a player. "From the outside looking in, it’s not always a beautiful ride. It’s a tough gig and the one thing the Canberra Raiders and I understand from a coaching point of view is that point. "They play an integral part of the player’s preparation and life themselves because it’s a tough gig at times." Football's reputation as dad's domain means the mothers can be unfairly overlooked - so often it is the mums taking their kids to registration day, dropping them off to training and cheering from the sidelines. Stuart says it's time that changed, so the women behind the Raiders will be in the rooms after the game as well, with the club trading beer for champagne ahead of a must-win clash. "When they need a shoulder to cry on I know they go to mum more so than dad," Stuart said. "They are a very, very important part to the players’ lives, whether it’s the mother of their children or their mother themselves. "They play an extremely important part in the players’ life and they sometimes can be overlooked because of the busy scheduling, all the training, and the busy lifestyle of a young footballer." Canberra's spiritual leader Sia Soliola laughs Stuart may have to hold back some choice words during the pre-match speech, but it is fitting they will be together on a special day. "We know how important these women are to us and it’s cool they can be a part of us as we go out for the game," Soliola said. "They’re with us through thick and thin, the highs and lows, and they carry a lot of our burden sometimes - if not, they probably carry more, especially after a loss. "They’re our partners and our mothers so it’s nice we can pay tribute to them on their special day." NRL ROUND 10 Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium, 4.10pm. Tickets from Ticketek. Raiders: 1. Jack Wighton, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Iosia Soliola, 9. Siliva Havili, 10. Shannon Boyd, 11. Joseph Tapine, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Josh Papalii. Interchange from: 14. Ata Hingano, 15. Luke Bateman, 16. Charlie Gubb, 17. Dunamis Lui, 18. Liam Knight, 19. Michael Oldfield. Sharks: 1. Valentine Holmes, 2. Sosaia Feki, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. Ricky Leutele, 5. Edrick Lee, 6. Matt Moylan, 7. Chad Townsend, 8. Andrew Fifita, 9. Jayden Brailey, 10. Matt Prior, 11. Kurt Capewell, 14. Joseph Paulo, 13. Paul Gallen (c). Interchange from: 15. James Segeyaro, 16. Avagalu Seumanufagai, 17. Jack Williams, 18. Kurt Dillion, 19. Braden Uele, 20. Briton Nikora.

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