Stuart made 3 straight Grand Finals as coach, that's no easy feat. His coaching/training was revolutionary at the time, he had the roosters ultra fit that's how he was able to do that, he's unlucky not to be 4/4 in Grand Finals. It's clear ex players like Willie Mason hold him as a coach in such high regard 'cause he wowed him with his time coaching Australia.
I have a theory on ponga, that's its ego, he's got form now, there's a pattern, first he made himself non eligible for this origin series to "focus on knights" only to make himself eligible for the decider when there was talks qld should pick both him and Walsh, I think he may be pulling out of rep teams before he loses out the no.1 jersey to other fullbacks.