Stinging in the rain
The Warriors’ season is in freefall after they failed to snap their month-long NRL wins drought in the wet at Newcastle yesterday.
A final-quarter try to Daniel Saifiti earned the Knights a deserved 14-8 win, leading the television commentary team to declare that Andrew Webster’s Warriors have lost their mojo.
The Warriors went to one of the most hostile NRL away venues desperately seeking their first victory since April 6 following a 22-22 draw with the Sea Eagles and back-to-back losses to the Dragons and the Knights.
They had several try chances ruled out by Bunker decisions, but after missing 39 tackles and committing eight errors, the Warriors simply did not deserve to win in slippery conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium.
A tousled Tohu Harris accepted the Warriors’ discipline, “especially in the first half, let us down a bit”.
“We did a good job and managed to get back into the game, but they were too good in the end.”
Webster watched his wayward charges make three errors, concede five penalties and record a paltry 56% completion rate in the first quarter.
To compound his concerns, the Knights led 8-0 after a Tyson Gamble try and two Dane Gagai goals.
Gamble swooped from a Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad clanger when the Warriors fullback lost control of the ball near the base of the posts.
The Warriors got a reprieve when the Bunker rubbed out a try to second rower Dylan Lucas after replays showed a Knights player crashed into Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who collided with Marcelo Montoya, dislodging the ball.
The second quarter didn’t open any brighter as the Warriors shelled two try-scoring opportunities. Tuivasa-Sheck knocked on trying to push a pass to Montoya with the line beckoning and Harris lost the ball after making an angled run to the sticks.
The Warriors suffered a hammer blow when Kurt Capewell limped off in his first game back since missing the loss to the Titans.
But the momentum turned when Harris atoned with a clever spin-and-pass to put Dylan Walker in for a converted try.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak seemed set to score when he soared high to snare a bomb, but he dropped it after an early tackle by his Knights marker who would have been on his way to the sinbin in the rival rugby code.
The Warriors were denied twice early in the second spell. Bradman Best came from behind to beat Jackson Ford to a Tom Ale kick-through and Watene-Zelezniak’s trademark aerial corner try was ruled out for an alleged obstruction.
But Johnson squared it up with a 54th minute penalty before big Daniel Saifiti scored the Knights’ clincher second try.
A try-saving tackle by Knights hooker Jayden Brailey on Addin Fonua-Blake snuffed out the Warriors’ best late chance to avoid another defeat.*