A brutally trustworthy Ben Hunt described the Dragons’ second half as “garbage” whereas admitting discuss surrounding coach Anthony Griffin’s future “received’t go away” after Sunday’s heavy loss to Cronulla.
The Dragons went into the sheds at halftime trailing 12-8 towards the Sharks however fell away in spectacular vogue for a second-straight week, ultimately taking place by 32 factors.
Speaking to Fox League’s Darcie McDonald after Sunday’s recreation, Hunt stated the second half was notably disappointing given it was in entrance of a house crowd and within the native derby.
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“Loads (went flawed), to be trustworthy,” he stated.
“We went into halftime fairly constructive, accomplished actually excessive within the first half and the discuss from Hook was to attempt to full the identical within the second half and attempt to take them to the deep finish and end it late.
“They only got here out and ran tougher and tackled tougher. We simply form of went to water. It acquired away from us fairly rapidly, it was simply defensively that basically allow us to down. They have been simply rolling via the center and taking benefit with their good strike on the perimeters.”
The Dragons made a really constructive begin to Sunday’s recreation, finishing 91 per cent of their units within the opening half and lacking simply 11 tackles.
That, after all, rapidly modified within the second although as St George Illawarra missed one other 25 tackles whereas getting via simply 42 per cent of their units — coughing the ball up 9 occasions.
“It appears to be the beginning of our second half on a regular basis, popping out and never matching it with different groups,” Hunt added.
“They arrive out and go to a different stage and we appear to enter our shells. It’s fairly disappointing in entrance of our house crowd, it’s the native derby and to toss that up within the second half it’s fairly garbage, to be trustworthy.”
Hunt additionally answered a number of questions in Sunday’s post-game press convention, whereas coach Griffin described the 32-point defeat as “disappointing”.
“The primary half we weren’t fairly there… however the second half, they have been simply approach too good,” Griffin stated.
“We weren’t adequate.”
The fixed discuss round Griffin’s future would have made the consequence notably powerful to take for the Dragons coach, who will solely come beneath extra scrutiny this week.
It comes after stories earlier within the week that the membership is contemplating different choices at coach for subsequent 12 months, though the off-contract Griffin has been informed he also can apply for the place.
Hunt defended his under-pressure coach, insisting that Griffin has no management over the missed tackles or errors on the sphere, whereas conceding the exterior noise will now solely develop louder.
“It’s not going to go away now,” Hunt stated, ruing the very fact the Dragons might have helped ease the stress on Griffin with a greater efficiency.
“He’s not the one out on the sphere, it’s us,” the halfback later added.
“We’re those lacking the tackles on the sphere. Ideally, like every little thing, you’d prefer it [the talks on Griffin’s future] to remain in home however that doesn’t occur in rugby league.”
Hunt although stated he doesn’t imagine the exterior discuss is impacting the enjoying group, telling reporters they haven’t mentioned it internally.
“To me, I believe the individuals who discuss it are on the skin,” he stated.
However there will likely be loads of powerful conversations that the enjoying group will share within the wake of Sunday’s loss, with Hunt at a loss to clarify the staff’s second-straight collapse.
“I believed it was very embarrassing,” he stated.
“I don’t assume there’s a man in our aspect who might put their hand up and say they performed nicely in that second half. And to dish it up in entrance of your own home followers just isn’t adequate.
“Truthfully I don’t know [what is behind the collapses]. We’re entering into halftime in an excellent place and we’ve good chats at halftime and we come out and appear to be asleep.”
Initially printed as ‘It received’t go away’: Ben Hunt’s brutally trustworthy interview and unhappy admission after ‘embarrassing’ loss
