NRL 2022: Warriors coach Nathan Brown says players gave up in 70-10 loss to Storm

A 70-10 loss on Monday night was a record low for the Warriors and the coach let his players know they’d let everyone down.

The Warriors had no answer to the Melbourne Storm. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Deflated Warriors coach Nathan Brown was disappointed that some of his players “gave up” in a record loss to Melbourne on Monday night.

Brown conceded the 70-10 thumping was “embarrassing” as Melbourne ran in 10 second-half tries when the Warriors coach conceded his team “fell apart”.

With a 16-10 score line at halftime, Brown said there “wasn’t anything in the game” which made what followed all the more disappointing as the Warriors missed 32 missed tackles in the biggest loss in the club’s history.

When asked if his players gave up, Brown said “some people did yeah, I’ve got no doubt at all”.

“I’ve been in this game for a long time and it’s disappointing to say that, but some people looked for the easiest way out they could and that’s bad,” Brown said.

“That’s not a reflection of all the players, we had some who worked extremely hard and put themselves on the line.

“We were right in that game and competing well and when we picked up a couple of injuries we certainly didn’t respond very well.

“We had a couple of players who were below their best at that stage and when it got harder and harder they thought the easiest option was to look for the easier options.

Nathan Brown said his players gave up. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

“Fatigue causes people to make some bad decisions but we had some people who made bad decisions not because of fatigue and that’s what is disappointing. That’s definitely a choice.”

Brown conceded match-ending injuries to winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (concussion) and Josh Curran (knee) hurt his team but were not excuses for the horror show.

“I feel for a lot of the boys who put the effort in as opposed to some of the blokes who were off the game a touch and then made some poor choices. It’s disappointing,” he said.

“We picked up a few injuries and needed a bit extra out of some people and they couldn’t find it.”

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak took a heavy knock. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Warriors captain Addin Fonua-Blake said there needed to be more players prepared to “put their body in front” as Storm ran in “untouched tries”

“I didn’t see that second-half coming. Boys need to have a good hard look at themselves, be honest with ourselves,” he said.

Watene-Zelezniak was “up and talking” in the rooms after he was knocked out by the thigh of Storm’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona in a sickening incident.

He’ll miss at least the Warriors’ next clash with Canberra next Saturday which Brown said would provide his team the perfect opportunity to atone.

Brown was playing for St George Illawarra the last time Storm scored 70 points, at the MCG in 2000, and the Dragons nearly won the next week.

“The score that happened today is embarrassing and not good but it can happen quickly in the game today,“ he said.

“There will be some strong messages to individuals. Our response next week is really, really important.”