St George Illawarra slumped to their lowest ebb in 68 years of top-flight rugby league at Kogarah, flogged 38-0 by arch-rivals Canterbury and with their season in tatters.
Beaten by the Bulldogs to end both their 2015 and 2017 campaigns, Sunday’s blow wasn’t as fatal but left them sixth and with their top-four hopes all but over after spending most the season there.
The scoreline marked both St George and the joint venture’s biggest ever loss at the Red V’s home ground since 1960, while it was Canterbury’s biggest ever win over the merged club.
According to Fox Sports Stats it was also only the third time a Dragons team had been held scoreless at Kogarah, and fans retaliated as such.
Players were booed off at both half and full-time, while a fan lobbed a scarf at a player as they left the ground following the defeat.
Dragons coach Paul McGregor said he couldn’t blame them for being frustrations.
Even worse, Dragons junior Jason Nightingale suffered a dislocated elbow and it’s feared he could miss between four and six weeks, meaning his career could be over if the club don’t find form.
Centre Euan Aitken will also require scans on a hamstring, which might have been torn.
The only way they can now return to the top four there is if they flog Newcastle next week and either Cronulla or South Sydney are well beaten by their bottom-eight opponents.
Their own worst enemies, the Dragons made 14 errors and failed to make a linebreak or force a drop out.
Halfback Ben Hunt also had a day to forget and was at one stage jeered by the home fans when he kicked the ball dead midway through the second half, just a set after he could only get his knee to a last-tackle play.
“He’s a disappointed man like the other guys in the sheds,” McGregor said.
“We’ve been working on a few basics in Ben’s game to try and get him back to his best, but it’s a collective thing, it’s not an individual thing.”
The Dragons were out of the contest midway through the first half when the Bulldogs scored three tries in the space of 10 minutes, including two of promising wing Reimis Smith’s hat-trick.
Former Dragons Brett and Josh Morris both scored, a handy contribution to the Bulldogs’ fourth win in five games.
“The way we’re finishing the season for a number of the young guys are playing some good attractive footy together,” said coach Dean Pay said.
“We can keep building onto that into our pre-season and start next year off with that.”
Dodgy Dragons
Roar Rookie
I’m hoping that it is Mary’s plan to limp into the finals and then turn it on come the semis - I know I’m clutching at straws but I am the eternal optimist with the dragons. Yesterday’s effort was abysmal, and hopefully that might make the board look elsewhere in the coaching stocks, someone like Toovey would be great imo. At least he will be forced to make changes with the injuries to nightingale and Aitken, something that should have been done 10 weeks when the rot started to fester.
sava lloyd
Guest
St George seem rudderless,no direction in attack,5 run ups and a misdirected kick is all they have,where the Dogs had it all,if they were in the final eight I would back them. Broncos winger Oaks worries me ,as he leaves his wing position wide open and any opposition Coach that can't see that and use to their advantage should give it away. Sava
Albo
Guest
Latimore has been the Dragons best forward for some weeks now. He should be getting more game time. The rest are either carrying injuries or worn out for the season.
catcat
Roar Rookie
Its a tough one being out of form, but surely there are a few kicks or plays that you can go to to get you through those times- they may not be the most exciting plays, but kicking a ball dead like that -well the 0 scoreline tells it all..embarrassing. On a winning note- how good were the kick returns from the Dogs!!?
Dirk Diggler
Roar Rookie
Dare I say that the Dragons were believing their own hype and have forgotten how to win.Even as late as 4 weeks ago I was dead set they would finish Top 4......but after yesterday effort they will be one and done in the finals. It's such a shame as they have the roster the equal of just about any in the competition and on their day showed they can be anyone. Call it Origin hangover or poor coaching but there is no excuse they have had a dream run with injuries for most of the season until lately. The bottom line is with this roster Mary has to go......Anthony Griffin are you out there??
Wayne Turner
Guest
Agree Paul. F their disappointment. Us fans are angry,and they should be a shamed of that crap.
Paul
Roar Guru
I didn't hear the words I expected to hear from anyone in the Dragons camp after both the loss and the jeering - embarrassment, disgust at our performance, letting both the Club and the fans down, etc are things I want to hear not, "we were disappointed". Disappointment comes from having a red hot go, but getting beaten on the line. These guys have to be past that stage if they're going to turn this around in the next 6 months. They need to be angry with themselves and individually want to improve. As it stands, they're lacking leadership to manage this meltdown. Sorry Mary, as a head coach you make a great assistant.
Wayne Turner
Guest
The Mary pattern. Start the season well,and start choking after round 12. The ONLY chance of it changing in the future,is a new coach. Plus,please take the non-merit boys club with you in Hornby and Young. Hunt had a shocker - A choker. No surprise,just watch the 2015 GF. We paid way too much for him. Dufty - A one trick pony,already worked out ie: Can ONLY run with the ball. A non-tackler,and not a first grader. Mann - A jack of all trades. A master of none. Mr Average,and often below average. Nene - Rumoured wants to go to Cowboys.Played like he wants out.Back to his crap ways. Lafai - Useless,unless his contracts up. Nightingale - Tries hard,a shame he got injured. Graham - Past it. Sims - Missing in action. Aitken - Lucky he got injured.Useless ever since NSW didn't pick him.A bludger. LL Cool Forward - Young finding his feet in first grade.Along with Nightingale,the least worst of the above names. Only young winger Jordan,McInnes and Frizell tried hard. The rest useless.
Phil
Guest
I watched that game on TV was was disappointed, disgusted, bewildered and downright effin cranky. It was back in 1967 that I first went to Saints games, seeing some great results and some shockers and I'm glad I can't attend games anymore after that rot. Nevertheless I will continue to support my team despite the frustration. Someone must know what has gone wrong, To me the team looks as if it is not coached. There is no direction, no ball movement and no idea.
E-Meter
Guest
His body language is just dreadful. He has no spark or enthusiasm. Things can be bad off the field, eg. club politics, family life etc etc, but surely pride of performance needs to be instilled within Hunt and some of his team mates.
souvalis
Guest
If ever there was a performance that screamed ‘dressing room lost ‘ it was this one...the number 9 was the only one who had a fair dinkum dig..it read as a plea to the front office..something seems to have really irked them...
The Barry
Roar Guru
There were two kicks in two minutes midway through the second half, the one that came of his knee and the second he blasted dead from 25 out that really showed up how far his head is out of the game.
E-Meter
Guest
The longer the game went, the worse Hunt was. He needs to start running the ball and get a few bruises on the body to take his mind off things. The guy looks shattered.