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Losing a game of rugby league is one thing, yet vastly different to turning up your toes, not competing and waving the white flag to an opposition.
That is precisely what the Wests Tigers did against the Cowboys last Saturday, in one of the most insipid and disgraceful modern NRL performances. Frankly, it was a shameful farce and an insult to the paying members of the club and the fans who essentially flushed their money down the toilet by bothering to turn up.
NRL squads are far from even when it comes to talent and there are plenty of Tigers that would struggle to earn a starting spot at other clubs, yet effort, pride in performance and professionalism as an athlete are simply non-negotiable expectations.
During the 74-0 loss, Wests coach Tim Sheens received little, if any, of the above and in a performance that was somewhat uncomfortable to watch, his players effectively gave up.
Aside from the 31st minute sin-binning of Alex Twal, there were no unusual events or considerations to excuse what played out, with a Cowboys try occurring at an average of one every six minutes.
Tim Sheens received little or no effort from his players in the 74-0 loss to the Cowboys. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Yes, the Tigers are outclassed across the park by North Queensland and sometimes tries can be racked up late as fatigue grows and scorelines balloon, however the obvious lack of commitment set in almost immediately and a 42-0 deficit at the half-time break suggests Wests were not interested right from the very start.
The level to which a team is switched on is most accurately reflected in defence and 54 missed tackles says pretty much all there is to say about 2023’s worst NRL performance.
A loss is a loss and all teams are well accustomed to dealing with the disappointment, the media and the repercussions for the club as a whole, yet the broader game suffers when a team checks out two thirds of the way through the season.
Simply, the ARL Commission should be asking the Tigers for a please explain. As a spectacle it was an embarrassment to the competition and in a professional environment, that is something that should simply never occur.
However, Wests weren’t the only team embarrassing the game in Round 18. The Bulldogs went close to matching them for effort in a 66-0 loss to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon at Accor Stadium.
In perfect weather and in front of just over 11,000 fans, Canterbury had their loyal supports in a chorus of boos by half-time – down 30-0 to a team sitting just one rung above them on the premiership ladder.
The blue and whites deserved every one of those boos and as first-year coach Cameron Ciraldo sat helplessly in the box watching the Knights romp in 11 tries, the very fabric of what is increasingly looking like a broken club continues to be questioned.
The Bulldogs had a significant injury list earlier in the season, but have plenty of troops back on deck and simply cannot mount an argument that what we saw against Newcastle was anything more than a non-effort that escalated issues evident in their previous two performances.
Canterbury conceded 34 to the Eels on June 12, 48 to the Sharks away from home a week later, enjoyed the bye and then succumbed meekly to the Knights; 148 points against in three weeks and a monstrous 473 to this point of the season.
Bulldogs fans had nothing to cheer about against the Knights. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
I’ve never seen kennel fans more disgusted with a performance as they were last Sunday, on their feet booing, leaving the ground in droves, or commenting comically on social media in the post-game about the joke that their team had become.
It is not nice to observe, but as paying fans, they were well within their rights to do so and essentially, correct.
As fans, we can handle our team losing when the effort is there, yet after 40 years in the game, I’ve learnt that the one thing that grinds the gears of the rugby league faithful the most, is lack of effort.
No matter what the coaches, clubs, players or officials might say, neither the Tigers or Bulldogs turned up to play football last weekend, plain and simple, they did not compete.
I love the sporting analogy that there is trying and ‘really trying’, something both teams will have reflected on in preparation for Round 19. What the Tigers toss up against the Sharks on Thursday night is anyone’s guess and the Dogs meet the Origin-weakened Bunnies on Sunday.
Results aside, let’s hope they actually turn up and have a go.