COACH Ben Kinkade is confident the worst is behind Southern Beaches.
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Yet to record a win this season after a mass exodus of players, Southern Beaches conceded 100 points for the first time in premier one rugby, going down 103-13 to premiers Hamilton at Ernie Calland Oval on Saturday. Their worst defeat had been a 97-7 thumping at the hands of University in 2008. On Saturday, they lost second grade 104-3 and third grade 47-12.
The three-figure loss was the second heavy defeat in a row after they were thrashed 87-0 by Merewether.
"Hamilton were very good but we let ourselves down," Kinkade said. "It has probably been building for two weeks. When you have the lack of depth we have, the game can get away from you very quickly. That will be our worse scoreline for the year. We have two weeks off now and then everyone will be back. We haven't been able to put our best XV on the park this season."
Beaches were without experienced prop Peter Betham (knee), English hooker Ryan Jackson (knee) and former NSW Country fly-half Michael Delore (work) against the Hawks.
"The Merewether loss, I thought, was a one-off," Kinkade said. "But we missed more tackles and it became an attitude thing."
Hamilton winger Hamish McKie ran in four tries, while fly-half Dane Sherratt finished with 30 points from two tries and 10 conversions. The backs ran in all bar two of the 15 tries.
"We have matched most teams in physicality but they definitely beat us," Kinkade said. "They did things much quicker and with more intent."
As well as being down on personnel, Kinkade said the players were noticeably flat after attending the funeral service for long-time member and committee person Mick Wade at the club's home ground the day before.
"His death rocked a lot of peope," Kinkade said. "We will rebound. A scoreline like that was probably inevitable. It's testament to the characters here that it hadn't happened. The difference - even in the one game - between our good periods of play and our bad periods of play is still massive."
Elsewhere Saturday, Merewether bounced back to form and put a dent in Nelson Bay's finals aspirations with a 48-3 win at Hawkins Oval.
Winger Kosta Sykiotis crossed for two tries as the Greens jumped to a 25-3 lead at the break.
"We were expecting an ambush against a side desperate to get on a winning run to get back in the hunt for the semis," co-coach Mick Gill said. "We stuck to our structures and standards and came out with the energy and effort we wanted and we put some real good patches of rugby together."
At Waratah Oval, Wanderers produced a clinical second half to storm past Lake Macquarie 43-12. The Two Blues led 12-10 at half-time but picked up the pace and intensity to run in seven tries.
At Marcellin Park, winger Jordan Bower crossed for four tries to help steer Maitland to a 48-24 win and defend the Hawthorne Cup.
