NORTH Coast led for 57 of the 70 minutes, but they weren't in front when it mattered during a 28-26 loss to Greater Northern Tigers in Port Macquarie on Saturday.
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The Bulldogs two-point defeat ended their unbeaten start to the Andrew Johns Cup (under-18) competition despite appearing in control for most of the match.
In the end, it was Tigers' four-tries-in-13-minutes blitz that proved the difference and allowed them to overturn a 26-6 deficit midway through the second half.
Bulldogs coach Darrin Dark labelled the second-half performance a reality check after his side had cruised to a 20-6 lead at the break.
"We asked for more effort in the second half, but the effort went the wrong way," Dark said.
"It went through the Tigers and not the Bulldogs.
"I don't really know what you put that down to; we gauge all our stuff on our efforts so today we let our own standards down and we paid the price for that."
Two first-half tries to fullback Jarrad Gibson and one each to centre Eli Clarke and second-rower Travys Dawton had the Bulldogs in control.
But they couldn't maintain the same effort in the second half.
"Around the ball in the first half and those effort areas, we were good so we were rewarded for it," Dark said.
"I think we thought we didn't have to work as hard for it in the second half; that's what it came down to.
"There was a lesson in footy for us to keep that intensity in what we do otherwise you lose the momentum of the game and it's hard to get it back once you get nervous."
Prop Brock Parker led the way for the Bulldogs.
"As captain he is always leading for us, but he can only do so much," Dark said.
"He probably needed a spell today but his experience and toughness is what leads the team so it's very hard for us to replace him."
The defeat came on the back of an impressive win over Parramatta last week and the coach felt the performance was a letdown.
"Last week we were probably getting carried away with our win and a week later it took a bit out of us going to Sydney and playing the big boys down there," Dark said.
"We'll see how everyone else copes with that trip, but now to lose at Port Macquarie that negated the win down at Parra."
The challenge is that they have to learn to come up with consistent performances every week.
"We know that every week is a grand final so I think maybe we thought it was going to be a little easier than what it was in the second half," Dark said.
"But there's the reality check for us and hopefully we're better for it; it's a 70-minute game, not a 35-minute game."
