Veteran Kiwis centre Nigel Vagana copped a thinly-veiled blast from his coach and teammate Adam Dykes was diagnosed with hypothermia as Cronulla's weekend trip to Auckland turned even uglier.
The Warriors' 12-10 win at a chilly Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday dealt the Sharks a sixth straight loss and a hammer blow to their top-eight playoff chances.
Coach Stuart Raper took aim at some of his backs, reportedly Vagana and wing Darren Albert.
"We've got players who are noted tryscorers and they're not scoring tries," he told the Daily Telegraph.
They're not putting themselves in position and they're not doing things to score tries. I think players have got to aim up a bit more."
The Sharks haven't won a game since June 30, coincidentally or not, the transfer deadline for players shifting clubs.
Vagana is bound for South Sydney next year, one of several big-name Kiwis signings by the bottom-placed club alongside Melbourne's David Kidwell and the Bulldogs' Roy Asotasi.
Otherwise the icy weather hit home as Cronulla team doctors revealed that Dykes blacked out from hypothermia in the dressing room and was unable to provide a sample for drug testers after enduring a cold, rainy Auckland night.
"He was in a fair bit of strife for a while," team doctor Dave Givney said.
"His core temperature was very low. He couldn't stand in the shower so we laid him down and put hot water bottles on his chest, his legs and his groin to bring his temperature up slowly."
Givney said Dykes had recovered yesterday and isn't expected to miss Saturday's match against Parramatta.
- NZPA
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from NRL
Webster calls for attitude change after Warriors' crushing defeat by Dragons
The coach cites a poor defensive attitude and inability to counter their rivals' momentum.