Tate McDermott summed it up best when he said the Reds copped a 'reality check' as they were dominated by the Hurricanes.
After a solid start, they were outclassed in the second half as Jason Holland's men cruised to a 47-13 win in the hot and humid conditions in Townsville.
Catch every game of Super Rugby Pacific LIVE on Stan Sport. Start your Free Sport Trial Now
The same issues from 2022 were at the forefront and whilst there were strong showings from the Reds' Wallaby contingency, it leaves Brad Thorn searching for answers heading into Super Round.
So what did we learn?
1.Groundhog day
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results
So when the Reds once again gave away a pair of cynical yellow cards, the game was ultimately decided there and then.
The Reds were the most carded team in 2022 and this has continued with Ryan Smith (taking out a player) and Seru Uru’s (collapsing a maul on their goal-line) back-to-back yellows leading to the hosts spending a quarter of the game down a man.
In the process, the visitors blew the competitive 13-all game out and by the time the Reds could mount any real pressure, they were down 17.
When the Hurricanes were down to 14, the Reds were gassed and allowed two soft tries to put the contest well and truly out of reach
They also gave away three penalties whilst attacking the visitors’ try-line, constantly relieving the pressure.
Smith said during the week they need to stop ‘letting teams win games’. Fixing their discipline goes a long way towards sorting this.
2. Ruthless
The Hurricanes smelt blood in the water and that’s all they needed to strike.
They refused to panic after a sloppy start and the boot of Jordie Barrett kept the 'Canes in touch before striking before and after the break.
Barrett was elite as always whilst Ardie Savea was a menace whenever he got the ball.
They will be hoping Barrett is not too shaken up by a late hit, limping off after the bell with an apparent hip complaint. He shrugged it off after the game and should be right to face the Rebels next week.
They were joined by an electric showing off the bench by Asafo Aumua, the perfect Dane Coles replacement when he retires at the end of the year.
3. Eddie audition
With Eddie Jones making the dash up, there were several Wallabies hopefuls that impressed from the Reds despite the defeat
Jordan Petaia is looking more and more comfortable at the back and went searching for work with a team high 14 carries for 83 metres. He didn’t make a bad decision all game although the cornrow hairstyle is questionable.
Harry Wilson typified the work-rate Jones is after whilst Fraser McReight remains a hawk at ruck time and constantly finds himself hunting for an offload or chance to strike.
The one that stood out from a bolter perspective is Isaac Henry. Henry is a big-body centre with an under-rated boot, constantly looking like a threat when he took the line on.
4. Showing he belongs
Whilst the result didn’t show it, Tom Lynagh produced a solid debut that shows he can guide this team around effectively if James O’Connor is on the sidelines for a considerable period.
He searched for the ball early and the two penalty kicks helped calm the nerves.
The crosskick to set up the first try was slightly underweighted but proved just difficult enough to handle for Josh Moorby whilst he showed great composure to collect a ball one-handed and beat multiple defenders to get the Reds out of danger.
He’ll be disappointed about the tackle effort on Billy Proctor before half-time but all up, a great showing from a teenager who hasn’t even started a Premier Grade game yet for UQ.
5. Down an avenger
The absence of Taniela Tupou was clear to see at scrum-time as they came off second best throughout the night.
Tupou’s highlight reels often only show the flashy plays and freaky athleticism but his scrummaging is world-class and was sorely missed.
This combined with Harry Hoopert (knee) long-term injury leaves the Reds searching for answers to match it with the best.
Life after Tupou is now the reality for the Reds after he signed a two-year deal with the Rebels.
