Josh McGuire ‘doesn’t know what a hip drop is’, claims Griffin

He has a history of rough on field play but Dragons forward Josh McGuire wouldn’t know a hip drop if he saw one, according to his coach.

McGuire was sent for ten in the bin during the first half of Sunday’s game. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Despite his extensive rap sheet, Anthony Griffin insisted Josh McGuire “doesn’t know what a hip drop is” and said he was baffled as to why his lock forward was placed on report in the brave 44-18 loss to the Storm.

McGuire, who had earlier been sin-binned for an innocuous high shot on Justin Olam, was put on report for a dangerous tackle that bent back the legs of Josh Addo-Carr.

Dragons centre Tyrell Fuimaono was marched in the 13th minute for a high shot that sent Ryan Papenhuyzen into Disneyland and out of the game.

Griffin said Fuimaono’s send-off was no surprise but was bemused by McGuire being placed on report.

“I didn’t assume it was going to be a send-off but it didn’t surprise me when it was,” Griffin said.

“With the mood they’re in at the moment, that’s what’s happening.

“The McGuire one, on Addo-Carr, I don’t understand that one. We don’t coach him to do that. He doesn’t know what a hip drop is.

“You’ve got to be able to tackle someone and the legs will sometimes get tangled up. I want to get some clarification on that.”

McGuire faced the NRL judiciary three times last season. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

McGuire’s sin-binning after the Olam incident also had Griffin choosing his words carefully, while making it easy to read between the lines.

“He got wrong-footed. Today its’s a send-off. A week ago it wasn’t. Maybe in three week’s time it won’t be,” he said.

“As long as they’re consistent. We’ve got to get through an Origin series … if they’re going to be happy to have 11 on the field in Origin then I’ll be happy with it.”

The Dragons, down to 11 men for a period of time and trailing just 14-10 at halftime, played with plenty of steel and flair in the first half until being one man down took its ultimate toll.

“I was proud of them all night. The second half got away from us. We leaked far too many points,” Griffin said.

“I thought if we could hang in and get the first try in the second-half we were a good chance of scrambling away.

“Our attack over the last few weeks hasn’t been where it needs to be apart from the second half last week and we took that into the game. I thought our halves (Corey Norman and Ben Hunt) were outstanding most of the night.”

In a blow to the Dragons short-term hopes fullback Matt Dufty, who had two try assists in the first half and was at this creative best, looks set for an extended stint on the sidelines.

Dufty left the field early in the second half clutching his shoulder and Griffin said he had a potentially serious AC rupture and was “not real good”

Originally published as Josh McGuire ‘doesn’t know what a hip drop is’, claims Griffin