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.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Yes that is true, and I agree that it has lost some of its unpredictability, but I’ll say it again, the NRL is hardly alone in that respect.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
See..their sports physiologists came to the conclusion that players get injured when they are tired.So they decided to introduce unlimited interchange and guess what..you are getting bashed as hard in the 80th minute as you do the 1st.... Now we have 100 kilo players carrying 3-4 100 kilo players on their knees and joints...dead set madness. They introduce 10 metre rule and no one can keep up with that even if you are playing 7 a side touch...the referees can't keep up ...so they allowed the play the ball to slow down and slow down only because the scorelines were 60-40... Now they introduce these 6 tackle resets and no one knows where the call came from..so we have scores blowing out 74-0 66-0..I say get rid of these interchanges to a controllable level and reduce the distance from 10 metres to 8 metres which is probably happening now as we rarely see offside penalties. The biggest mistake was to take the ruck away and make it a play the ball...The ruck motivated defenders to get up quick to be the marker to rake for the ball...that is another problem with not enough pivot points where possession can change hands between teams...It becomes a coaches game and not a players game.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
The game use to have many more pivot points where you could get the ball back. A scrum win or penalty..you could find touch on the last tackle and win the scrum..you could rake the ball..today it is 5 hitups and the kick and it is boring.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
Scrum changed that as well as the interchange. Half back had to be low to the ground like a jack russel dog and be fast to get down on to loose ball that spewed out of the scrum..He had to fight like a terrier for that low ball...He did not tackle in the line but instead covered behind the line for any breaks...Both he and the lock were constantly roving across field behind the line... If you did that today they would turn the ball back into the space were the half was in the line,,it is a bad habit in the modern game to cattle dog after the ball...An attack will eventually work you out and turn the ball back into the space you have abandoned. If we lower the interchange then space will open up...Our centres are getting bashed taking the 1st and 2nd ball up and have to be 100 kilo or they go backwards. We see footballers not even making it through grades as ''the athletes'are taking their place and they are dropdead dumb to the intricacies of the game.
Albo
Roar Rookie
I agree with you. But they won't change it. The interchange rule destroyed the game as we knew it when 80 minute players were the stars and the little nippy halves came into their own late in the games. Now the game is dominated by 20 minute titans and the little guys have been bashed out of the game in the juniors. Only a handful can really compete today , those halves who can make 30 tackles a game on big guys, as well as be creative for 80 minutes.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
eASILY SOLVED...rEDUCE THE INTERCHANGE WHICH HAS GIVEN THE ADVANTAGE TO GOLIATH.. Back in the day when front row forwards played 70-80 minutes the heaviest players were 105 kilos... You could not carry that weight around and stamina would take its toll...the trophy has the big and small guy...Mortimer was 75 kilos and was the only player who consistently handled Eric Grothe.
wilbas
Roar Rookie
there is a school of thought that say Fulton is still working for Manly to secure TIGERS PLAYERS.
Bloke7
Roar Rookie
Twas but a scratch.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Of course they can cover both sides, but they are typically stronger on one side as opposed to the other, and in the modern era those small variances are the difference between winning and losing. And you’re right, to a certain extent natural instinct is coached out of young talent, but that’s professional sport. The stakes are much higher, errors are more costly. That’s not unique to the NRL.
Jeannine Wallace
Roar Rookie
Thanks, RL Fan. There was a wee more effort from the Tigers boys tonight. It wasn't great but they looked like they were giving it their best shot :happy:
RLFan
Roar Rookie
Good luck Jeanine - I know the feeling of just hoping that your team puts in a good effort, win or lose. Last week's results were unacceptable, both for the suffering fans and for Rugby League in general.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Yes, we all have a natural side, a side preferred over the other. However, these blokes are 1st graders, playing at the highest level comp in the RL world and as such should have the ability to cover both sides of the body. From what we see, they must be taught in the juniors to play on their preferred side and graduate to NRL with that mindset.. I saw recently where JAC was moved from one side to the other. It shouldn't matter, he's a rep level player who should be comfortable on either wing. Getting back to my earlier post, I think too many players are coming into grade programmed to play a certain way as per that club's system. Just think if Joey Johns had have stuck to the script in the '97 GF, Newcastle would not have won. He was supposed to go one way but told Darren Albert to stay alive as Joey's instinct told him there was an opening the other way. The rest is history. Instinctive players are few and far between nowadays because it's coached out of them.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
I thought you would talk up your wunderkind, but what happens in 5 years? There are no great 6/7s in the school system. None of what you would hope to be NRL quality. My next question is whom is going to pass the ball to your 120 behemoths?
Jeannine Wallace
Roar Rookie
Thanks, Jimmmy. The Cowboys could sneak into the top 8 this weekend (fingers crossed!) I am a wee nervous about the Tiger's game tonight against the Sharks. I hope that the player's effort forces me to watch the game further than the first half (this needs more than finger crossing :laughing: )
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
I totally agree Jeannine. At various times in our history , the Cowboys have had some very ordinary teams. I never cared if we lost by 20 or 30 points as long as we had a crack. Often teams lose because they just aren't good enough . Nothing wrong with that but when there is no effort it's unacceptable.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
What team this year ?
andrew
Roar Rookie
I'll be interested to see how the Tigers perform after the Sharks training run against Saints last week.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Most punters, including me, thought the Dolphins would be lucky to win a couple of games based on their roster and no ‘marquee’ signing plus new to the competition. I didn’t expect much from Wests Tigers this year - Bulldogs I thought would do much better.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Most players do have a natural side, based on what arm they carry the ball, what leg they typically step off, what arm they prefer to fend with. It all goes into in the modern era where there is infinite coverage and video work done on players. Even the smallest weakness will be exposed. But it’s not just about what they do with the ball, it’s also defensively. Most players defend better with one shoulder better than the other. The modern game is highly technical.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Of course they do, but have you seen the speed of modern defensive lines. Even the worst defensive team in todays game is ten times the best defensive team of even 15 years ago. Line speed is just incredible in the modern era.