St George Illawarra’s day in Canberra obtained off to a horrible begin, and it did not get significantly better for the embattled membership.
The Dragons suffered a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to the Raiderswith their NRL season summed up by an embarrassing pre-game mistake that value them an interchange earlier than the match had began.
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Previous to kick-off, the Dragons named Jacob Liddle to start out at hooker, nonetheless when the sport started, Moses Mbye took to the sphere within the dummy half place.
On the workforce sheet, Mbye was listed on the bench in jersey No.14, however someway he ended up beginning the sport at hooker with Liddle dropped to the bench.
The error value the Dragons an interchange as they’re required to submit the workforce sheet one hour earlier than the sport begins, with no last-minute modifications to the workforce allowed.
Talking after the loss, rugby league nice Matthew Johns mentioned the error sums up the poor season the Dragons are having.
“I believe in the intervening time what sums up the plight of the Dragons is that they named Jacob Liddle to start out at hooker, however Moses Mbye took the sphere,” Johns mentioned on Sunday Night time with Matty Johns.
“That right away prices them an interchange. Like how does that occur?”
Panel member Bryan Fletcher agreed and was in shock that such an embarrassing mistake might happen within the NRL competitors.
“Once I heard that I could not consider it,” Fletcher mentioned.
In the meantime, strain is continuous to mount on under-fire St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin.
Days earlier than an important board assembly that can form Griffin’s future on the membership, the Dragons took a 4-Zero lead at half-time however had been unable to cease the Raiders within the second half.
It was removed from fairly by Canberra however an important victory nonetheless, with the membership profitable consecutive video games for the primary time this season and shifting to 3-Four to maintain contact with the pack within the race for the highest eight.
A tackle-busting effort from Canberra middle Matt Timoko gave the Raiders the lead on 64 minutes, earlier than Hudson Younger sealed the take care of a exceptional length-of-the-field attempt after a one-on-one strip.
The Dragons’ fourth loss in 5 outings couldn’t have come at a worse time for Griffin, who wants outcomes given his future will doubtless be determined within the subsequent month.
“I do not actually have something to speak to you about that; I do not create that, I am simply extra anxious about our gamers, getting them over this and entering into the following sport,” he mentioned, including he could not query his gamers’ want.
“It is a actually robust couple of weeks once we put ourselves ready to win two video games.”
Dragons captain Ben Hunt, who has been vocal in his help of Griffin, declared his dedication to the trigger had not wavered.
“For almost all of events, we’re taking part in fairly good footy … we’re simply costing ourselves,” he mentioned.
“We have been fairly dedicated for the previous couple of weeks … we have been scrambling exhausting for one another however once more, simply foolish errors.”
– With AAP
