Coach admits sorry Dragons 'couldn't handle' big clash

St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan “couldn’t wait” for Anzac Day’s clash with the Roosters to be over.

He could only sit in the coaches box with his head in his hands as the Dragons were thumped 60-18 at Accor Stadium on Thursday.

The demoralising loss came only a week after the Red V stunned the Warriors in Sydney, earning high praise from former critics of the perennial battlers.

The Dragons scored first but then watched the Roosters run in 10 tries, all of which were converted by Sam Walker as the young halfback put on a clinic.

“I couldn’t wait until it finished, to be honest,” Flanagan said after the game.

Dragons players look dejected during the loss to the Roosters.

“We didn’t start too bad, then we tried to make some stuff up – there was a pass from Zac (Lomax) and (the Roosters) scored, then they scored quickly again.

“They were coming off the back fence and we couldn’t handle them.

“They’ve got some good athletes, and we came down to Earth with a thud.

“They are all terribly disappointed because it is a big occasion.

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“The Roosters came off the back fence and won all the collisions, won all the contests on the ground, ran faster, ran harder, and their two halves played in dinner suits.”

Flanagan was on a high after beating the Warriors in round seven, but conceded the team regressed badly just a week later.

“We are terribly disappointed, and that’s not the Dragons,” he said.

“You saw last week what the Dragons can do… we hit the ground with a big thud today.”

Thursday’s game could not have started much worse for the Dragons.

They kicked off, and then centre Moses Suli was knocked out trying to tackle Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves immediately.

Dragons skipper Ben Hunt admitted the atmosphere dropped after that incident.

“You get a bit down on it, definitely,” Hunt said.

“That early in the game, first play of the game, you lose one of your most powerful players. But you’ve got to get on with it.”

The Dragons take on the Sharks on Sunday week.