The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs faced a crushing defeat on Friday night, losing 38-16 to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the opener of the Magic Round.
In a dismal first half, the Bulldogs conceded 30 points, although they attempted a comeback after halftime, scoring twice and limiting the Sharks to just one try.
A number of incidents highlighted the Bulldogs' struggles, notably when young playmaker Lachlan Galvin dropped the ball while attempting to score after breaking through the defense.
Yet, it was commentator Andrew Voss who described the "worst moment of the season" when Sharks hooker Hohepa Puru picked up the ball from dummy-half and scored right on the line.
This try encapsulated the Bulldogs' significant drop in defensive performance compared to last year's standards.
Despite the disastrous first half, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo found it challenging to pinpoint what exactly went awry.
"I can't, it's hard to explain," Ciraldo stated.
"There were some very ugly moments, but I think the possession was like 65-35 against us at that time.
"If I want to make an excuse, maybe it was fatigue, but it'd be bulls**t anyway. We need to do better."