There’s not a whole lot you can say after you’ve just watched your team lose by 60 points, so it came as little surprise when Warriors coach admitted that some of his players ‘gave up’ during their crushing loss to the Storm.
After a close first half that saw them go into the sheds down by a converted try, the Warriors let in 54 unanswered points after the interval, losing 70-10.
“We picked up a couple of injuries and under adversity I think we had some players that truth be told, some weren’t at the races after that,” Brown said post-match.
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“We had some players who are good players just playing under fatigue, not having the ball made the game extremely difficult against a good side.”
When pressed if he believed some of his players gave up, Brown was straight to the point.
“Some people did, I have no doubt at all,” Brown said.
“I have been in this game a long time and it is disappointing to sit here and say that but some people looked for the easiest way out they could and that is sad.
“That is not a reflection of all the players, we had some players that worked extremely hard.”
The Warriors also lost Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after a collision with Nelson Asofa-Solomona, where the winger appeared to lay unconscious for several moments, as staff rushed to check on his welfare.
Brown said losing players couldn’t be an excuse in a game so lopsided.
“The way we performed in the last 30 minutes, the injuries are not an excuse… when we picked up a couple of injuries we certainly didn’t respond very well,” he said.
“We had some players that were a little below their best and at that stage when it got harder and harder, thought the easiest option was to look for the easiest option.
“Unfortunately for a lot of our middle forwards who worked really really hard, and did a great job for us, not having the ball under fatigue made it extremely difficult.”
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The Warriors have a quick turnaround before they play the Raiders on Saturday, in a clash between two teams who both seem down on their luck and bereft of ideas.
Brown also became the only member of a dubious club – being part of a team that conceded 70 as both a player and a coach.
Weirdly enough, it was back in the 2000, also against the Storm and also 70-10, when as a player, Brown’s Dragons were on the receiving end of a shellacking.
Brown could at least see the funny side when it was brought up at the press conference, and asked how the team bounced back the following week.
“I remember it very clearly – we were beating the Tigers and I kicked the ball out with not long to go,” he said with a chuckle.
“Then they scored and beat us.”
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