Cronulla winger Luke Covell has admitted the Sharks’ confidence is at rock-bottom and the players are desperately trying to remember how to win after sinking to a ninth successive NRL defeat at the hands of St George Illawarra on Saturday.

After a strong performance that saw them dominate the first half, the Sharks didn’t score their first points of the game until the 75th minute as the Dragons strolled to a 26-4 win having led just 4-0 at halftime.

After another miserable week for the Sharks, Covell said the players were trying so hard to play well for the crowd of over 15,000 who’d turned out to get behind the cash-strapped club, and this anxiety had led to simple mistakes.

“It’s hard because we want to score tries to win but we find ourselves maybe pushing the pass when we shouldn’t,” he told AAP.

“Then when we make some breaks we can’t capitalise on them … and it’s hard when you are lacking confidence and that is what is happening to us at the moment.

“When we were getting warmed up we could see what the crowd were going to be like … we desperately want to give them the win but it wasn’t to be. But we are trying so hard for them.”

Coach Ricky Stuart took his side to the beachside town of Kiama on the NSW South Coast last week to get away from the storm surrounding the club following Reni Maitua’s positive test for a banned substance, the latest in a string of off-field dramas.

Covell refused to discuss Maitua’s situation, but said it had been hard to focus.

He said the players and staff were doing their best to ignore what was going on around the club.

“The main thing we have been doing is looking out for each other and making sure we get through this together,” he said.

“Whatever happens out of football happens, it’s out of our control.”

Cronulla face fellow strugglers Parramatta next weekend and Covell is expecting another tough night at the office.

“We’ve given ourselves a chance to beat every team we have played this season, but they (Parramatta) played some great footy against Souths on Friday and out there at Parramatta Stadium it’s not going to get any easier for us,” he said.

“When confidence is down it’s hard you but you just have to move on and get on with it.”

“It’s hard because we want to score tries to win but we find ourselves maybe pushing the pass when we shouldn’t.” – Luke Covell, Sharks winger