Could it be that they are used to landing in [...] where they try to touchdown as near the start as possible
There's your recipe for disaster.
But in fact, regular operators onto short runways know much better than that. It is the rare visitor who might fall who the trap more easily.
As for the F/O's thoughts: my best guess is he might have been thinking really hard "
is this the time I call for a G/A?" until it was pointless to make voice the concern.
Anybody fancy a bet it was two captains?
