Big team, big chance lost
NRL seasons are built on small margins, and there was another reminder in the Warriors’ narrow loss to the Sea Eagles last night.
The Auckland club came close to a historic win in Perth but they will rue an awful period either side of halftime, when the Sea Eagles scored 26 unanswered points after the Warriors had taken a 16-0 lead.
Outside of that spell, the Warriors were pretty good. They attacked well and defended with gusto, though did nothing to allay fears about their ability to beat the big teams.
Last night felt like a a bridge too far, despite the progress the Auckland side had made in the past month.
Trying to beat one of their all-time bogey sides in a city where they have never won looked well beyond this current crop.
But they gave it a great shot. They made one of their best starts of the year, sprinting to a 16-0 lead inside the first quarter, before an inevitable Manly comeback.
They were overhauled early in the second half but still went toe-to-toe with the Sea Eagles, despite the loss of Albert Vete (broken arm) and Nathaniel Roache (hamstring).
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was a fingertip away from a crucial try in the 69th minute, before David Fusitu’a was stopped centimetres short with six minutes to play.
Shaun Johnson then overplayed his hand in the dying moments when the Warriors had a golden chance.
This match reminded of last year’s epic battle at the same venue, when Manly sneaked home in golden point. The Warriors are a significantly better team now, but Manly have improved exponentially also.
Ryan Hoffman (foot injury) was a late withdrawal for the Warriors, with Bunty Afoa promoted into the starting 13 and Ligi Sao coming into the 17.
In miserable conditions, the Warriors sizzled. Bodene Thompson crossed after five minutes, running off a short pass from Johnson after a sustained period of pressure inside the Manly 20-metre zone. They extended their lead in the next set after the kickoff, with Roache sparking a long-range break finished off by Nicoll-Klokstad.
They rounded out a perfect first quarter — not one mistake — with a try to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the fullback scoring for the fifth consecutive NRL game after Kieran Foran anticipated his run perfectly with his grubber kick.
However, it was about then both teams reverted to type; the Warriors with their burden of historical struggles in Perth (no wins from eight games before this) and Manly with their dominant record over the Auckland side (only four losses from the last 22 clashes).
The Sea Eagles stormed back into the match, and their third try — right on the halftime whistle — cancelled out the Warriors’ lead. The visitors were on their heels defensively, guilty of not putting pressure on the Manly runners and were made to pay. The pattern continued in the second half; the Auckland side competed but the Sea Eagles were in full flight.
Sea Eagles 26 (T. Trbojevic 2, B. Kelly, A. Uate, D. Walker tries; M. Wright 3 goals) Warriors 22 (B. Thompson, C. Nicoll-Klokstad 2, R. Tuivasa-Sheck tries; S Johnson 3 goals). Halftime 16-16.