PointsBet Stadium: And you wonder why Ben Hunt is keen on bailing early on St George Illawarra.
The sad thing is the Dragons were in this contest against bitter rivals Cronulla for 55 minutes.
When Tyrell Sloan pounced on a Nicho Hynes kick that was allowed to bounce, then sprinted 91metres to score, the visitors trailed 24-16.
It was quite the feat considering they had little ball and had spent the bulk of the game defending deep in their own end.
But then a Jayden Sullivan kick went nowhere, the Sharks charged up the other end and Ronaldo Mulitalo scored in the corner. Then Cronulla scored and scored and scored and scored.
Cronulla won 52-16. It was a forgettable finish for the Red V. They have now conceded a whopping 156 points in their past four games.
Nicho Hynes tries to break free of the Dragons’ defence.Credit: Getty
Hunt met with club officials at the start of the week and agreed to at least stay until the end of the year. Any talk of an early mark to help his old club Brisbane win a competition was officially spiked.
But the smart money is on Hunt leaving at season’s end, despite having two more years to run on his deal, with the Gold Coast considered his likely destination.
Hunt trying his heart out will not save the Dragons. In-coming coach Shane Flanagan has his work cut out.
A bit like the Wests Tigers, too many years of mediocrity will make it hard for the Dragons to attract top talent. At the very least they will need to pay massive overs.
Ben Hunt looks dejected after a Cronulla try.Credit: Getty
Sloan had his moments with the try, but then a silly pass over the touchline. As Andrew Johns quipped in the commentary box, “I think Tyrell is more of a runner than he is a passer”.
Cronulla looked better the longer the night went. And boy, wasn’t it a chilly night.
Hynes looked the goods early, scoring the club’s first try, then holding up a lovely short ball for Briton Nikora to cross over.
He finished with three try assists as NSW coach Brad Fittler looked on. Who knows if Hynes will be recalled for Origin III. Hynes would never pass on another chance to play for his state, but he is getting plenty of joy wearing the sky blue at club level.
Cronulla’s back five were a handful, like they always were, with Mulitalo bagging a double. He has now scored 22 tries in 21 games at PointsBet Stadium.
Braden Hamlin-Uele picked up a rib injury with the first hit-up and did not feature in the second half, while Tom Hazelton is the club’s new cult hero.
He had the locals on their feet several times when he threatened to score in the first half, had the joint pumping when he actually did score just before the break, and was given a standing ovation when coming from the field early in the second half.
Are front-rowers, especially ones from the bush, even allowed to be considered for rookie of the year honours?
The only concern for the Sharks, other than Hamlin-Uele’s ribs, will be Dale Finucane who was placed on report for a lifting tackle on Blake Lawrie.
Lawrie landed on his back, but any charge for Finucane could prove costly for the skipper because of his poor disciplinary record. A grade-one dangerous contact charge would be a $3000 fine, but a grade-two charge three matches.
The Sharks face Wests Tigers next Thursday, while the Dragons host Canberra on Friday. Hunt will be away on Origin duty. The Dragons should get used to playing without him.
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