[4] He was also the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series.

At club level, Stuart was the half-back of the "Green Machine", the Canberra Raiders team who were coached by Tim Sheens and won three premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1994, besides being runners-up in 1991.

[6] Stuart was selected for the ACT Schoolboys in 1984,[7] and attracted press attention the following season for a dominant display for his school in the Waratah Shield final.

[16] Once promoted to first grade, Stuart immediately stamped himself as a player of genuine class,[17] and by the end of 1988 was earmarked for representative honours.

[11] He soon became a key factor behind the club's most successful period in the late 1980s and 1990s, playing halfback inside a backline including legendary talents Laurie Daley, Mal Meninga and Gary Belcher.

After the 1989 Grand Final victory, Stuart and the Raiders travelled to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge which was lost to Widnes.

He then won the Clive Churchill Medal in the Raiders' 1990 grand final victory over Penrith, and had become a certainty to tour with the Kangaroos.

Stuart debuted in the first test of the 1990 Kangaroo tour against Great Britain in London in October 1990, playing five-eighth outside Allan Langer.

Established in league's elite, Stuart would suffer throughout the 1991 season from a painful groin injury,[23] despite having an operation after returning home from the Kangaroo Tour.

However, Queensland won a very close series 2–1 and Stuart lost his Test jersey to Langer who was fitter and in better form at all levels.

During the 1991 season, the Raiders were plagued by massive debts and salary cap breaches, largely due to the cost of their move to Bruce Stadium and building a second leagues club.

He recovered to help New South Wales to Origin success — winning his second Man of the Match award in the deciding encounter[31] — and would be named Canberra's 1992 Player of the Year,[32] although the off-field problems from 1991 saw the club finish in the bottom five in all three grades.

[11] A recurrence of his groin problems saw Stuart miss the opening Winfield Cup game,[34] which the Raiders lost to a 12-man St. George.

A likely Canberra premiership triumph was squashed when Stuart broke his leg — ironically during a record 68–0 win against Parramatta — in the penultimate round.

Having won the 2002 NRL Premiership, the Roosters travelled to England to play the 2003 World Club Challenge against Super League champions, St Helens R.F.C.

Not only was the club in dire financial straits[36] but the Cronulla club was also tarnished by media allegations about a 2002 group-sex incident involving former Sharks players, player Reni Maitua's dismissal after testing positive to drugs,[37] removal of the captaincy from key player Paul Gallen, due to making racist remarks several unsavoury incidents involving now-disgraced CEO Tony Zappia (including his assault of a female staff member and involvement in an insurance-fraud fan donation scandal).

Stuart went on to say "I just feel I can't get that extra bit out of them at the moment, Talking to the players at halftime and after the game, I could probably sense with them that this was the only decision".

[43] In June 2013, Stuart infamously told twelve Parramatta players via an overhead projector that their services were no longer required beyond the 2013 NRL season.

In week one of the finals, Canberra were upset in front of a sold-out home crowd losing to eventual premiers Cronulla 16–14.

[48][49] In July 2018 after a match against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in which a refereeing mistake led to a try cost the Raiders the game, Stuart demanded that the NRL overhaul the bunker system responsible for reviewing potential tries.

During the second half of the game and with only 10 minutes remaining, Canberra were initially given a new six tackle set after referee Ben Cummins had ruled that the Sydney Roosters had touched the ball.

[55] Canberra would finish the 2021 NRL season in a disappointing 10th place on the table after the club were tipped to reach the finals and once again challenge for the premiership.

[60] Following Canberra's 48–2 loss against Melbourne in round 24 of the 2023 NRL season, Stuart walked out after just 80 seconds of the post match press conference.

[66] In December 2005, Stuart was appointed as coach of Australian national rugby league team, replacing Wayne Bennett after Australia's loss in the 2005 Tri-Nations Final to New Zealand by a scoreline of 24–0.

He is reported to have verbally abused both officials in front of a number of witnesses, calling Klein a cheat, and of being physically and aggressively intimidating.

[71] Stuart was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, for "significant service to rugby league, and to the community".

[73] The Raiders replace their major jersey sponsor for one round each year with the foundation's logo to help raise further support.