Brisbane Broncos utility Ben Hunt says Thursday's 18-point loss to the Parramatta Eels is one of the worst defeats he has been a part of during his nine seasons of first grade at the club.
Hunt's comments come after Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett described the 52-34 thrashing at Suncorp Stadium as the Broncos' worst of the season.
Hunt went one further, and the history books suspect he is right, with Brisbane conceding 50 points at Suncorp Stadium for only the second time in their history.
Patience and discipline went out the window on Thursday, and the Broncos must now bounce back quickly as they prepare for another Thursday night showdown, this time with the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 26.
However, conceding nine tries in a match is not something the players can just forget about and Hunt took time to reflect on the embarrassing loss.
"It's definitely up there [as our worst loss]. It's probably the worst loss I've had with the Broncos in a long time," Hunt said.
"Full credit to them. They took advantage of us being a little bit off. They played well and won easily.
"It's definitely one of the most uncharacteristic games I've been a part of. That's not what the Broncos are about. I've been here for a while now and it's not too often we get 50 put on us."
Hunt faced an unusual situation during the match, coming off the bench in the 21st minute when his side were already trailing 24-0.
One of those four Parramatta tries came after just 12 seconds, with Kirisome Auva'a scoring the quickest try in NRL history when he intercepted a wayward Adam Blair offload during the first tackle of the night.
Hunt watched on helplessly from the sideline as the scoreboard ticked over, and by the time he entered the field of play Eels winger Semi Radradra had already scored three tries of his own.
Despite his best efforts, Hunt could not turn the tide, with the playmaker describing the night as one of those games where everything went against them.
"It was a pretty tough situation to come into. We obviously didn't have the best start we've ever had," he said.
"I tried to get on there and have a bit of energy but it was just one of those nights where things didn't go our way.
"I thought we started with a lot of energy. Everybody was ready to go and we felt good in the warm-up.
"The little things went wrong. Blair dropped that ball and then Semi Radradra ran 80 metres.
"It dints your confidence. Everyone goes into their shell a little bit after that."
