Slow start and disallowed try prove undoing of Warriors
WHILE it was the case of another match, another slow start by the Warriors, the biggest talking point of their defeat by the Bulldogs yesterday won’t be the effort over the first 20 minutes; rather a disallowed try in the last quarter.
With only seven minutes left on the clock at Mt Smart Stadium, Warriors fullback Kevin Locke dived into the left-hand corner as his opposite number, Ben Barba, swooped in to stop him.
Locke lifted his arms in celebration, believing he had evened the scores at 22-22. But TV official Pat Reynolds adjudged that Barba had managed to get his arm under the ball, preventing the four points.
Bulldogs winger Jonathan Wright ran away to score two minutes later and his team went on to claim a 32-18 win that flattered the visitors.
Locke’s non-try was undoubtedly the moment of the match, and one that Warriors coach Brian Mcclennan thought should have been given.
‘‘For my money, I thought he had got it,’’ Mcclennan said. ‘‘You’ve just got to carry on, don’t you? They make a ruling, you’ve got to respect it and move on.’’
Second-rower Feleti Mateo was the standout for the Warriors. The NRL’S offload king made seven tackle breaks, and provided two offloads, both turning into tries, to James Maloney and hardworking prop Sione Lousi, whose star continues to rise.
The poor start, combined with continuing defending issues on the fringes, meant the Warriors made their own lives difficult against a Bulldogs side which looked slick but are imminently beatable, despite a threefrom-three record in the Des Hasler era at the club.
It’s a well-worn cliche in sports, perhaps one of worst; to call a game, one of two halves. Yet that was the case in front of 17,067 fans at Mt Smart, with the Doggies dominating the first 20 minutes, the Warriors commanding the middle two quarters, and the visitors, again, bossing the final one.
For a third time in three weeks, the Warriors surrendered an early lead, with Barba, Steve Turner and Jonathan Wright all crossing for welltaken tries.
Yet the Warriors roared back, with tries to Maloney and Lousi, and looked like kicking into second gear. The momentum continued as the second stanza began, with Mateo rumbling over after a well-worked move by Ben Matulino and Russell Packer, and a clever dummy from the second-rower himself.
While giant Doggies prop Sam Kasiano would dot down at the other end, the Warriors continued to apply the blowtorch, yet when Locke’s potential four-pointer went begging, it seemed always likely that it would not be their afternoon.
Late tries to Wright and Joel Romelo confirmed that, both coming in
Warriors five-eighth James Maloney sets off for his long-range try against Canterbury at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday. the final four minutes; with Wright’s the nail in the coffin.
The performances of Mateo, the defence in the middle of the park and the unexpected appearance of Manu Vatuvei on the right wing, to put pressure on former Kiwi Bryson Goodwin, were all upsides, though that start and injuries from yesterday are a concern.
Though centre Konrad Hurrell’s right wrist didn’t appear serious, the left ankle of Maloney, who was collected by Aiden Tolman in a high shot late on, may be cause for concern.
‘‘It’s difficult to say just yet,’’ Mcclennan said of Maloney’s condition. He was OK [at the time] they’re very determined athletes are these boys. He ran through it and was able to continue on in the end.’’