Former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer has launched a scathing attack on the Waratahs in the wake of their loss to the Southern Kings saying a "large number" of NSW players are nowhere near Super Rugby standard and that last year's Shute Shield final was better quality than "one of the worst games I've seen in a long while".

The Waratahs' season is on life support after they disintegrated against the struggling Kings last Friday, going down 26-24 in what was their sixth loss from eight matches this year.

Dwyer, who coached the Wallabies to World Cup glory in 1991 and looked after the Waratahs in the early 2000s, described the result as "diabolical" and took aim at NSW players for an inept showing.

GETTY IMAGES Israel Folau is tackled in the loss to the Southern Kings.

"It was the worst game I've seen for a long while," Dwyer said. "The standard of club games is higher. If you compare it to last year's grand final between Sydney University and Norths, that was way better than it in standard.

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"There is no doubt the Waratahs have a very large number of players who are not up to Super Rugby standard.

"Who is an elite-level performer at Super Rugby level in the Waratahs team? You could come to maybe three or four people and you could come to one or maximum two who you think could get there.

"It doesn't make for a happy weekend. The Waratahs staff are dreadfully depressed and players are unhappy, but their fans are, too. I watched the game with great enthusiasm, thinking a good performance would lift them up the ladder and they could kick on, but it was diabolical.

"They were just totally poor. I can't think of one part of their game that was satisfactory. It was low standard. I thought the highlight of the evening was the way the commentary team stayed positive. The only thing you could say is these poor blokes here have to stay positive here watching this drivel."

Comparisons have been made between Friday's loss to the KIngs and the Waratahs' 96-19 humiliation to the Crusaders in 2002.

Dwyer, who was coach on that forgetful evening, laughed off the suggestion.

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[Unimpressed: World Cup winning coach Bob Dwyer said the Shute Shield grand final had more higher quality than the ...]

Unimpressed: World Cup winning coach Bob Dwyer said the Shute Shield grand final had more higher quality than the Waratahs game. Photo: Wayne Venables

"Mate, we played much better that night than the Tahs did," Dwyer said. "We scored three good tries and could have easily scored a fourth. We had a half a team out, but so did they. The Kings game was terrible, very low standard.

"It was a shocker. The Kings won only because their scrum was so superior. How NSW can have a team of four props and none of them can scrummage is beyond me. They missed Sekope [Kepu].

"And the amount of time the ball was dropped. And the amount of times a player overran a pass. How can you finish up in a defensive situation where you leave them with a three-man overlap?"

Dwyer said coach Daryl Gibson needed to take responsibility, but made it clear players did just as much.

As for captain Michael Hooper, who Dwyer last year said was the worst Australian openside breakaway in Super Rugby, he believes the Waratahs workhorse is one of the few NSW players having a real go.

"Everyone holds a responsibility; the whole squad of players and whole squad of coaching staff," Dwyer said.

"Hooper's a phenomenal player; his work rate is fantastic and the number of tackles he makes is really good. He's never been a massive force over the ball, but on Friday I thought he lifted that part of the game because his team needed it."

Asked whether he thought the Waratahs, who are in fourth place, could still win the Australian conference, Dwyer said: "No, I hope not. If they can win it, it's a disaster."

Dwyer agreed with Gibson's assertion the Waratahs lacked urgency and said it might have ramifications for Wallabies representatives if they didn't lift their game.

"I'm a long way from convinced that all the people there are the people that can get NSW where they want to go," Dwyer said. "It's up to [Michael] Cheika to decide whether he thinks he can get the best out of them or whether selection is a reward for top-level performance.

"They can be better next Saturday than they were on Friday if they work hard and accurately every session.

"You're only as good as your next game."