The Mittagong Lions dream run came to an end yesterday when they were thrashed 36-6 by a brilliant Oakdale outfit at Mittagong Sportsground.

The undefeated Lions were no match for the well-drilled Workers as the visitors ran amok, making Mittagong look like premiership pretenders rather than contenders.

A clearly disappointed Lions captain/coach was still trying to come to terms with the loss after the match.

"We just didn't turn up to play footy, it's that simple," he said.

"I'm glad it's happened, it's a real wake up call for the boys and we have to realise that we can't win every game.

"We were too complacent and having the week off didn't help at all.

"But to Oakdale's credit they played very well and today just wasn't our day."

From the kick off, it was clear that the Workers turned up to play as both sides put their bodies on the line in a brutal display of rugby league.

At the 30th minute, a win against the scrum gave Oakdale their second consecutive set and that's all it took for them to post their first six-pointer, courtesy of a burrowing try to centre Blake Reavell.

Try as they might, the Lions forwards just couldn't find a hole in the Workers watertight defensive line.

Even star second-rowers Lee Faavae and Andrew Murdoch struggled to penetrate the brutal defence and the Lions started losing confidence, opting for one-out plays and falling off tackles.

And the Workers capitalised just before the break when Reavell snared his double with a sensational 60m solo try that gave his side a 12-point buffer at the break.

But it was Workers five-eighth Trent Anderson that caused the most concern for Mittagong, dictating his side's play and orchestrating some spectacular movements that left the home side stunned.

After Anderson scored Oakdale's third at the 50 minute mark, frustration got the better of Andrew Murdoch who was lucky to stay on the paddock after a late hit on the star five-eighth.

The Workers ran in three more tries to the Lions one late in the match in a top class display of league that catapults Oakdale right to the top of premiership calculations.

Superbly prepared by coach Graeme Andrews, the slick Workers looked a class above the Lions and the locals may be forced to re-evaluate their prospects for the season.

But the famed Lions spirit will carry Mittagong a long way and it would take a very brave punter to write off their hopes completely.

Full report and photos in Wednesday's News.