I was fucking pissed after the game, but looking back, it's no real shock. The backup players aren't NRL starters for a reason. If they didn't have those lapses and/or errors in them, they'd be starting for us or another club. We're short on depth everywhere, but it's not just the injuries to the top 17. It's experienced players like Hoeter, Pereira etc, who have the experience we desperately need, even just to fill in at 2-5 and put Cobbo back to 1.
But the biggest (and most obvious in hindsight) killer was our bench. With Smoothy, Hetherington & Jetski, the only big body was Baker, who gave away 6 agains and offered no go forward. Hetherington is an asset if the opposition is tired, but too small if we're getting monstered, and Jetski is only a foot in front of Hunt as our depth back-rower.
Willison's return should make a massive difference, hopefully the cavalry or Reynolds, Walsh, and dare I say it, Future Immortal Arthurs, aren't back too late.