Dragons’ attitude has improved: Coach Carr

Jasper Bruce | June 30, 2023

St George Illawarra interim coach Ryan Carr has defended his side after hefty back-to-back defeats, insisting he saw an improvement in the Dragons’ attitude during the 52-16 loss to Cronulla.

After a run of six close losses cost coach Anthony Griffin his job last month, the Dragons have conceded 100 points across their last two games, with brittle edge defence and lacklustre execution haunting the side on both occasions.

The defeats have coincided with captain Ben Hunt requesting a release from the remainder of his Dragons deal – a request that has twice been denied but that has triggered two weeks of headlines about the struggling club.

But while Carr blasted his side’s effort following a 48-18 drubbing against the Warriors last Friday night, he found positives in Thursday’s loss to local rivals Cronulla, despite the wider margin of defeat.

Saints started the clash at Shark Park on the front foot, running in the first try through Mikaele Ravalawa and looked a chance to break back into the contest when Tyrell Sloan scored a runaway try early in the second half.

But they could not withstand the Sharks’ weight of possession and territory; in total, Cronulla enjoyed 41 tackles inside the 20m zone to the Dragons’ 17 and had 63 per cent of the ball.

“I thought we were quite brave for long periods of that game, defending our tryline,” Carr said. 

“We sort of got done on execution tonight, not effort, not attitude.

“(The loss) is definitely a concern but last week I questioned our attitude. Tonight, I definitely didn’t question our attitude, I thought we were quite brave for long periods of that game, defending our tryline.”

Five of Cronulla’s nine tries came down the Dragons’ leaky left edge, which also struggled to contain rampaging Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak the week prior.

The Dragons were forced to reconfigure the flank when centre Moses Suli and second-rower Jack Bird went down injured ahead of the Sharks game, replaced by Mat Feagai and Ben Murdoch-Masila, respectively.

“It was a completely new edge,” Carr said.

“I thought Matty did a good job for having his first go for us. 

“Tau (winger Tautau Moga) had to come in and do a job, Murdes came in for Birdy. You give any NRL team 60 (sic) play-the-balls inside your 20, I reckon there’s going to be some points scored.”

Carr also questioned how the Sharks had been awarded six more set restarts than the Dragons.

“That’s going to make it hard for you too, isn’t it? I’ll have to go back and have a look at it but I just couldn’t visually see that we were that much worse,” he said.