Tigers coach Tim Sheens joked that he was hopeful his side could beat the bye after they slumped to their fifth straight loss to start the season for the second consecutive year.
The 46-12 defeat to the Broncos means the Tigers are still the only winless side in the NRL in 2023 and a second straight wooden spoon looks likely at this stage.
Sheens admitted his side keep making things hard on themselves, but conceded the Broncos were a class above.
“We continually shot ourselves in the foot,” Sheens said.
Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“They were too strong, too quick for us. Just too good.
“They were very smart and kicked early. Adam Reynolds was the difference. His decision making and kicking game was outstanding.”
Despite the Tigers’ struggles Sheens still has belief if his team can get an even share of possession.
“We were down to 18 per cent possession halfway through the first half,” Sheens said.
“With even possession we have the team to win some games. We still have plenty to offer.
“I’ll never give up on this group. We were good in patches. The effort was good in patches. First half got away from us.”
MORE NRL NEWS
BIG HITS: Broncos trio’s masterclass as Tigers torn to shreds in ‘mind-blowing’ low
BIG HITS: Griffin’s Dragons’ huge response as Bennett’s Dolphins face halves ‘disaster’
‘WE’RE BETTER THAN THAT’: Bennett’s ‘grand final’ excuse for lacklustre Dolphins
BIG HITS: Young answer critics as Knights and Manly draw in 12-try golden point epic
Sheens wouldn’t be drawn on whether he would persist with his new look spine after Adam Doueihi struggled at fullback against the Broncos.
“I’m not going to make a decision on our spine right after this,” Sheens said.
“We are still putting it together. We weren’t clinically good enough on the night.
“We’ve played five games, four of them we have competed well, tonight was the first one we were never in it.
“It was 12-12 in the second half until they scored late. They could have got right away from us in the second half but they didn’t. There’s merit in that.”
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
Despite the pressure on his team Sheens was defiant that things would turn around, but he couldn’t resist a joke about his side’s upcoming bye.
“We didn’t handle their second phase in the second half,” Sheens said.
“We didn’t touch the ball at one stage for about 10 minutes.
“Can’t worry about external noise. We will turn up and try and figure it out.
“I have faith in this group. Quality group of guys and they have talent. Coaching group’s job is putting them together instead of bringing them down. We all have to work a lot harder.
“I hope we beat the bye in a couple of weeks.”
