REACTION: Thornton Apologises For York Defeat

[Dons News]

<p>Doncaster Rugby League head coach Gary Thornton spoke to the official website following Friday's defeat at York.</p>

<p>The Dons suffered a second successive loss after winning their first three matches as York ran out 44-16 winners at the Keepmoat Stadium.</p>

<p>Thornton was far from pleased with what he saw from his side.</p>

<p>"I am really disappointed, these last two weeks have been pretty hard to watch to be honest," said Thornton</p>

<p>"I'm not quite sure where it has come from having gone to Keighley, put in a really good performance and scored 44 points and played really well.</p>

<p>"I can look in the stand and see the injured players, we have at least eight first teasers who can't play at the minute which doesn't help. </p>

<p>"We are giving people the opportunity to come in whilst these players are injured and they are perhaps not taking it. </p>

<p>"The three elements you need to win a game is a high completion rate, low error count and low penalty count and we didn't do any of them.</p>

<p>"We were really poor, there were far too many errors, we didn't defend well and had a really low completion rate.</p>

<p>"We started the game terribly, we didn't complete our first three or four sets, we were poor with the ball and defensively weak.</p>

<p>"Both times York got into our 20 they scored and put us on the back foot.</p>

<p>"I thought we might have come out in the second half and got a first score on the board, but it wasn't to be, we couldn't create anything to get over the line.</p>

<p>"I apologise to the fans of Doncaster because that is not what we are about, that is not what I expect and we have to turn it around."</p>

<p>The Dons who had a player sent off at Hunslet, had two sin-bins against York, and Thornton commented: "I don't think we are an ill-disciplined side, I think we just get very frustrated and I could see that with the players.</p>

<p>"The 50/50 decisions didn't go our way and the frustration lead to giving more penalties away which is disappointing. </p>

<p>"We are only three games in, we have a long way to go, we need to put these things right now and not let it spiral. </p>

<p>"We have a few players coming back next week so hopefully that will help us.</p>

<p>"There aren't many positives to take from the game, but hopefully our form will turn soon.</p>

<p>"I take nothing away from York though, they played really well and they were very enthusiastic.</p>

<p>"Both Hunslet and York have been very enthusiastic teams and that is more worrying for me, our lack of enthusiasm and we have to address that quickly.</p>

<p>"We are in a slump, at this stage of the season the last two games have not been good enough performances and we have to pick ourselves up and get things right."</p>

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