Adam Pompey reflects on the Warriors defeat to Manly.
Photo: Jeremy Ng/www.photosport.nz
Analysis: NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster still believes his team can make an impact in the NRL playoffs – even if others may find their faith wavering.
With nothing left to play for, the Auckland-based side hoped for a decent dress rehearsal in their final regular season clash with Manly Sea Eagles, but came away with a sour-tasting 27-26 loss and a major injury that will affect how they line up at Go Media Stadium next week.
“I thought both teams’ best was really good and both teams’ worst was really, really bad,” reflected Webster. “It was like that the whole game.
“When we were playing well, I thought we could go on and win the game. We kept throwing punches, but they just weren’t the right ones at times.
“It’s only as hard as we make it. We’re the ones in control of this – we’re beating ourselves at the moment.”
The Warriors have to wait until Sunday to find out who their first post-season opponents will be.
“A new competition starts now and we’ve got to get excited about it,” Webster said. “If we play our best football, let’s see where that takes us.
“No one’s given us a chance since day one – we’re used to that. We believe what we can do in that dressing room and, back home, all our fans believe it.”
Ever a man of few words, captain James Fisher-Harris echoed his coach: “No one respects us, no one gives us any hope and I actually love that.”
Here’s what we learned from the Manly defeat:
Key moment
In an occasion filled with moments, the crucial act fell to the magician who has so often broken Warriors hearts over the years.
Veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans has proven he can kick a game-winning field goal. He’d previously kicked three others against the Warriors – make this his fourth – so it would be fascinating to know how many other teams he’s sunk over his 15 years and 352 games for Manly.
With four minutes remaining and the Warriors drawing within a converted try, DCE positioned himself in front of the posts, about 20 metres out, and slotted a low, left-foot drive that was never likely to miss.
The winning act came before it was actually needed, but proved the difference, after Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored his second try of the night as the final siren sounded and Tanah Boyd converted from the sideline to bring the final margin to just that one point.
Fastest try
Fisher-Harris himself created an unlikely piece of history, when he grabbed the opening try just nine seconds into the contest.
James Fisher-Harris pounces on a piece of history against Manly.
Photo: Jeremy Ng/www.photosport.nz
From the kickoff, Manly allowed the ball to bounce wildly, it evaded winger Jason Saab on the goal-line and the front-rower pouncing for what was believed to be the quickest NRL try ever.
“Luck of the bounce, I guess,” Fisher-Harris offered. “Right place, right time.”
The feat came within the 13 seconds needed by Parramatta winger Kirisome Auva’a for his try against Brisbane Broncos in 2017 and was all the more remarkable coming from a prop.
“We were so excited about the lead, but we hadn’t actually earnt anything yet,” Webster rued. “What were we going to do next?
“It sent us down a path that we didn’t want to go. While we’ll always take a 6-0 start, it didn’t trigger us into the football we wanted to play.”
Best players
Week in and week out, lock Erin Clark has been the Warriors’ most consistent performer this season and produced one of his very best efforts, with 23 runs for 194 metres, 66 metres after contact, 41 tackles and 10 tacklebreaks – and no wobbly old kicks.
Erin Clark proved a handful for Manly – and everyone else – this season.
Photo: Jeremy Ng / www.photosport.nz
If you had him in your NRL Fantasy team, he scored you 112 points. He also logged the entire 80 minutes without rest, although, he may have missed a midfield tackle that led to a try for Manly five-eighth Luke Brooks just after halftime.
Given his third NRL start, hooker Sam Healey again showed he must be part of the rotation going forward, scoring a try, leading his team in tackles (42) and proving a constant threat with ball in hand, with eight tacklebreaks.
How you juggle him and Wayde Egan in the gameday squad remains to be seen, but he’s worth persevering with.
Watene-Zelezniak had a try double – his second of the season – and was shunted over the sideline on a third dive for the corner, but also conceded two to counterpart Lehi Hopoate, while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ran for another 234 metres, without quite managing to break the Manly defence.
Injuries
Even more distressing than taking back-to-back losses into the postseason was the departure of centre Rocco Berry, who dislocated his shoulder, as he unsuccessfully tried to stop Hopoate’s first try.
The Warriors have been plagued by injuries this season, primarily season-ending knees to co-captain Mitch Barnett and Dally M Medal-leading halfback Luke Metcalf.
Arguably, Berry’s wretched luck has had the biggest impact on his team, because his repeated absence had a ripple effect throughout the line-up, with others – like second-rower Kurt Capewell and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad – pulled out of position to cover for him.
Reports from the sideline suggested the shoulder could not be manipulated back into place immediately and he was taken to hospital by ambulance, as the game continued.
Berry is a crucial part of coach Andrew Webster’s kickchase strategy and also steadies the much-maligned right-edge defence, but he seems unlikely to play any further part in the campaign, however long it lasts.
Rocco Berry succumbs to another injury against Manly.
Photo: AAP/Photosport
He was replaced by teenage sensation Leka Halasima and Webster now faces an unenviable decision over how he fills the void next week.
“I thought Leka did a great job of filling in there,” said Webster. “He was a bit of a shining light in that role and gave us some real versatility.
“Real shame for Rocco, he just can’t string any games together, but we’re good enough to handle that.”
Whether it’s Halasima, Capewell, Nicoll-Klokstad (with Taine Tuaupiki at fullback) or injury-plagued Ali Leiataua in the biggest game of his young career… that’s not a call you want to make at this stage of the season.
The Warriors also lost young rookie Eddie Ieremia-Toeava to a shoulder injury, but will have front-rower Jackson Ford back from suspension and Egan returning from his hip complaint.
“Eddie could have gone back home, but I didn’t want to risk him,” Webster assured.
DCE
This hasn’t been a vintage season for the competition’s oldest active player.
The Queensland captain was dropped from Origin II and then watched his team bounce back for series victory without him.
His NRL play had some so-called pundits calling for his retirement, but over the past three weeks, he’s reminded everyone of his abilities.
Cherry-Evans, 36, was culpable for the opening try, foolishly letting the kickoff hit the ground, but immediately made amends with an incredible 40-20 kick that actually found touch on the Warriors 10, leading to Hopoate’s first try.
It was entirely fitting – and probably predictable – that his field goal would make the difference.
Daly Cherry-Evans bids farewell to Manly fans, after kicking the gamewinning field goal.
Photo: Jeremy Ng/www.photosport.nz
Rumours have him joining Sydney Roosters next season, which would be gut-wrenching for Manly fans.
What does the result mean?
With Brisbane Broncos already nailing down fourth on the NRL table, the Warriors had very little to play for in terms of playoff position and will now likely remain sixth on the table.
They could still finish fifth, if Cronulla Sharks lose big to Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday, but that wouldn’t improve their situation – they would host a game next week and their season would still end, if they lose.
Next up
Either the Roosters or four-time defending champions Penrith Panthers, depending on the Panthers result against St George-Illawarra Dragons on Saturday night.
Sydney have won five of their last six games, including a 36-6 victory over bitter rivals South Sydney on Friday, and they may have found form at the right time.
After a disastrous start to the season that saw them last on the table after eight rounds, Penrith strung together nine straight wins, but have dropped their last three, choosing to rest their stars last week against the Bulldogs.
Both have strikepower across the park.
The Warriors were fortunate to meet the rebuilding Roosters early for their 14-6 win in round three, but were duped 28-18 by a Panthers outfit missing five Origin players in Round 16.
Both Webster and Fisher-Harris have won premierships at Penrith, but they were uncommitted about who they’d rather face.
“Whatever happens,” Fisher-Harris deadpanned.
Like the man said, they need to get excited by the new competition.
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