- Cameron Ciraldo will need stitches after glass broke in his hand
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has joined growing calls for Canberra’s GIO Stadium to undergo a facelift after glass shattered on his hand that will require stitches.
Ciraldo was left with a deep gash following the shocking incident, and Raiders’ boss Ricky Stuart also weighed into the situation, calling his side’s home base in the nation’s capital a ‘s***house stadium’ before suggesting authorities don’t care about the state of the 1970s-built venue.
Drama erupted inside the stadium in the dying minutes of the Bulldogs’ gritty 14-10 win against the Raiders on Thursday night, when Ciraldo thrust his hand against the glass of his coaching box.
‘The box was quite foggy, so we couldn’t see what was happening,’ he told reporters.
‘We tried to open the window, and the whole window smashed on us. There was glass all over us, and I’ll need a couple of stitches.
‘It [GIO Stadium] offers a great atmosphere, but it deserves an upgrade.’
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has called for Canberra’s GIO Stadium to undergo a facelift after glass shattered on his hand in the ageing arena on Thursday night
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart labelled the venue a ‘sh*thouse stadium’ before taking aim at ‘the people that make decisions’ in the nation’s capital
Ciraldo (pictured left, with his taped-up hand) told reporters he will need stitches following the incident in the coaches’ box)
The aftermath of the coaches box at GIO Stadium in Canberra after the glass shattered moments out from fulltime
Ciraldo will need stitches in his hand after coming off second best in the shocking incident
When informed of his counterpart’s injury, Stuart also lambasted the state of the arena on what had been a wet night in Canberra.
‘I’m coming to the change room and I thought it was raining in there. There’s no point whingeing about it, because the people you’ve got to whinge to don’t give a s***,’ fumed Stuart.
‘The people that make decisions about our stadium don’t care about the stadium.
‘They don’t care about the nation’s capital having the s***house stadium that we have.
‘So that’s why I don’t whinge about it.’
Former Wallaby turned Senator David Pocock admitted the venue is ‘clearly past its use by date’, before revealing multiple reports over 17 years have found the infrastructure needs to be either updated or replaced.
He acknowledged the ACT government is in a tough spot budget-wise, but said locals expect at least a plan going forward.
‘It’s seen as a cost rather than an investment in community… (but) we should be doubling down on ways to get people out, active and connected,’ Senator Pocock said.
The hosts had the chance to steal victory in the dying stages, but a try-saving effort from Canterbury fullback Connor Tracey on rookie halfback Ethan Sanders saw the visitors hang on for a narrow four-point victory.
