Warriors denied by late try
Kearney’s side led Souths by 12 points but could not hold off late comeback
Five rounds into the NRL season, the Warriors’ prospects in 2019 are not much clearer.
They produced a brave performance on the Sunshine Coast yesterday and the last-gasp 28-24 loss to the Rabbitohs was a heart breaker.
But at NRL level, courage and commitment aren’t always enough. Teams also need to be smart and composed, and the Warriors lost their way in the final 18 minutes, giving up three tries as the Sydney side reeled in a 24-12 deficit.
Cody Walker grabbed four touchdowns, the last in the 77th minute, while Damien Cook’s pace and sharpness out of dummy half was a constant threat.
The result leaves Stephen Kearney’s team on four competition points — this time last year, they were unbeaten — and with a tough series of matches coming in April and May.
To be fair to the Warriors, few would have expected them to get that close yesterday, especially when they lost Blake Green minutes before kickoff with a groin injury. They also had specialist hooker Issac Luke off the field during the last quarter (concussion).
These were the kind of circumstances many Warriors fans have been dreading since Shaun Johnson’s shock exit was confirmed in
November, leaving Green as the only experienced NRL half at Mt Smart.
The team coped relatively well but it was a performance of fits and starts. In both halves, they had periods of momentum but couldn’t maintain intensity and focus.
When the Warriors got going, the potential was obvious, but learning to compete when the chips are down is vital, and they were burned by a 67 per cent completion rate.