Dragons skipper Ben Hunt admitted he got “a bit” emotional after their thrilling two-point win over the Roosters on Friday.
It looked like the Roosters had snatched the victory when James Tedesco scored in the 75th minute only for Tyrell Sloan to come up with a cross-field kick in the final seconds to set up Mat Feagai.
Dragons players ran in from everywhere to jump on Feagai before Zac Lomax kicked the conversion to seal the win in front of a roaring crowd at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
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When asked by a reporter in the post-match press conference if he got emotional at full-time, Hunt said: “Yeah I did get a bit at the end there.
“With all the hard work we’ve put in the last two months and just falling short. Apart from last week we’ve been in every game… I just felt like we deserved that tonight,” he added.
“It was pretty emotional out there.”
The win came after a horror week for the club where Anthony Griffin was sacked as head coach effective immediately.
SIREN CIRCUS PLAY SEES SAINTS WIN | 00:52
Hunt, who shares a close relationship with Griffin, conceded it’s “been a whirlwind of emotions” throughout the week.
“It’s no secret how close I am with ‘Hook’ so I was obviously very disappointed for him but I never want to be a player that comes out and lets their teammates down so my big focus this week was still coming out and competing hard,” he said.
“I’m just very happy for everyone down there because we deserve it.”
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There’s been speculation surrounding Hunt’s future since Griffin’s axing given he’s previously indicated he’d have to reassess if there was a change in coach.
But the 33-year-old didn’t want to touch the speculation.
“It seems to be everyone else thinking about that rather than myself,” he said.
“There’s obviously a lot going in at the club at the moment, so we’re just focused on getting our club better.”
Interim Dragons coach Ryan Carr was full of praise for the skipper’s attitude throughout the week.
Radley escapes binning after headbutt | 00:51
“In a tough week where a lot’s happened, the leadership he’s shown… He’s played 300 games, done it all, he could have every excuse in the world not to keep coming out and doing what he’s doing,” he said.
“But he’s just the ultimate competitor and the ultimate captain.”
It was Carr’s first game in charge of an NRL side — and one he’ll never forget.
He was on a rollercoaster of emotions during the second half of the game.
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“It was all right… for a while, then it got a little bit hectic at the end,” he said when asked about the mood in the coaches box.
“That’s just the excitement coming out in me. I feel like I’m out there with them and I think that’s how you should feel when you’re coaching.
“I’m just happy for the boys and everyone at the club.
“It’s been a big week, everyone’s been through lot. It’s not just the staff or players, it’s everyone who contributes within the club. We’ve got a really good club here and a lot of really good people.
“I’m happy that everyone got what they deserved tonight, which was a win.
“I was just proud of how we kept going at the game until the end. We had every right probably after that disheartening last try Tedesco scored to say ‘here we go again’ and be victims.
“But I was just proud of how the boys chased it to the end and kept playing to the 80th minute.”