Johnson leads Warriors to miracle win
It’s only three rounds into the season but this Warriors outfit is already starting to develop a habit of making history.
And judging by their miracle comeback in Canberra yesterday, they will only continue to defy the odds.
Two weeks after winning in Perth for the first time, Shaun Johnson nailed back-to-back field goals at the death as the Warriors stunned the Raiders 20-19 to record the club’s best start to an NRL campaign.
Never before has the Auckland club started off 3-0, but this is a team that has shown they know how to get the job done, no matter the situation.
After conceding an avalanche of penalties early, that saw them make 50 more first half tackles, the Warriors trailed 19-6 with 30 minutes to go.
But they refused to go away. Tries to Tohu Harris and Issac Luke gave them a glimmer of hope before the team showed great composure to put Johnson in position to send the game to golden point. There was no need for extra time, though, as they again marched up field for the halfback to snatch victory with seconds remaining as his kick floated over the crossbar.
‘‘We had so much stuff go against us today, it’s evident in the penalty count but we stuck in there,’’ Johnson told Fox Sports after the game. ‘‘We said to ourselves, no one’s giving us a chance here. We stayed tight, we kept at it, and we’re walking away with the win.’’
Discipline has been an issue for most teams this season but the Warriors were almost penalised out of the game in the first half.
They conceded the first six penalties in the opening seven minutes. And when Adam Blair was caught for a late shot on Aiden Sezer, the referee had seen enough. With the Raiders camped
down in their red zone, the Warriors did well to keep them out as long as they did, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck pulling off another impressive try-saving tackle.
But the signs looked ominous when Blair was sent to the sin bin.
After former Warrior Siliva Havili barged his over way over, Canberra powered upfield in the very next set and Elliott Whitehead scored off an offload from Iosia Soliola.
The visitors had barely touched the ball at that point and in previous years they would have folded far more easily.
Yet this team
They made the most of their first penalty when, despite being a man down, Peta Hiku caught the Raiders short on the right edge to is far more resilient.
slice through. The Warriors probably should have went to the break on level terms but all that defence clearly had an impact on attack.
They wasted several attacking opportunities with poor passes before Raiders halfback Sam Williams slotted a field goal to give his side a seven-point buffer.
The victory was only the Warriors’ fourth in 16 matches in the Australian capital, and left Canberra still searching for their first win in 2018.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Warriors with another tough road trip to the Roosters next week.
(Peta Hiku, Tohu Harris, Issac Luke tries; Shaun Johnson 3 goals; Johnson 2 field goals) (Siliva Havili, Elliott Whitehead, Nick Cotric tries; Jarrod Croker 3 goals, Sam Williams field goal). HT: 6-13. Championship at Royal Wellington last year.
He teed off on the 10th and made a flyer with birdies on 11, 12 and 13. Mountcastle was four-under at the turn then finished with a rush, starting with his eagle.
‘‘I laid up for probably the first time ever on the hole and left myself a full wedge into the back pin, and managed to spin it in there,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve played well most of the times I have been here, so knowing the course well certainly helped.
‘‘I will just be looking to stay nice and relaxed from here and keep things simple.’’
Overnight co-leaders Hiroki Miya (Russley) and Fraser MacLachlan (Millbrook) mirrored each other again, with second rounds of oneover 72. They sit nine shots off the pace, in a tie for fifth.
Tynan shot up the leaderboard with a second round of 65, while Nichols produced back-to-back rounds of three-under 68.
I will just be looking to stay nice and relaxed from here.