WARRIORS DISPLAY GRIT TO HANG ON
THE Warriors held on to beat the Bulldogs 16-14 in a controversial NRL clash at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland on Sunday.
A gritty and even first half turned into a physical and controversial second, with the Warriors looking far the better team across the final 40 minutes and the Bulldogs fading after holding a twopoint lead at the break.
In the 44th minute the Warriors were robbed of a fair try, when Viliame Kikau played obviously at the ball, as Adam Pompey surged towards the line. Despite clear evidence showing that the back-rower had stripped the ball from Pompey, the bunker astonishingly denied the home side.
When Josh Addo-Carr streaked away to score for the Dogs a minute later, the decision looked potentially decisive for the Warriors.
However, they were not to be denied and showed the fortitude their fans have been waiting to see for years, mounting a late-second half charge, despite the injustice of the earlier no try decision. Tries to Marcelo Montoya and Shaun Johnson had the Warriors in the lead with about 13 minutes remaining on the clock. From there, it was desperation, defence and defiance that saw them home.
Controversy aside, there is something obviously different about the New Zealand Warriors in 2023.
Coach Andrew Webster has instilled a steel and discipline into a team that for what seems like eternity has lacked those traits and the ability to win matches via the grind and not flashy skill and brilliance alone.
In Cameron Ciraldo, the Bulldogs have exactly what they paid for within the space of just four weeks. The two points may have eluded them on Sunday, yet the improvement is immense and with Reed Mahoney, Matt Burton and Kyle Flanagan continuing to work on combinations, the Bulldogs’ best football could well be played at the back end of the season.