By PETER JESSUP
The Auckland Warriors' war of attrition began in earnest with the 14-6 battering they weathered from the visiting Melbourne Storm yesterday, four of the squad on the casualty list.
Most concern focused on centre Ivan Cleary, who had his nose broken in a tackle in the 61st minute and returned to the field seven minutes later only to be stretchered off after being KO'd just a minute later.
Cleary went to hospital, and was declared OK shortly after the end of the game, but the club will have to wait for a medical diagnosis today to find out whether he has to sit out the mandatory three-week stand-down for a concussion.
Coach Mark Graham said there was nothing in the medical report after Cleary's first knock to suggest he should be kept on the sideline.
"You know where we're coming from ... he had to go back out there," Graham said.
Also smashed in what was the extremely physical encounter predicted was lock Scott Coxon (head wound), prop Jerry Seuseu (suspected concussion), and fullback Lee Oudenryn (broken nose).
Graham had no complaints that the Storm had gone out to take his side out. "We're happy to put up with it. We showed plenty of character out there."
Graham was pleased with his side's defence and credited the smothering tackling with forcing crucial turnovers.
Storm opposite Chris Anderson had no excuses for a side that looked underdone, running out of petrol at the end of both halves, after an easy win over England's St Helens pre-season.
"We played bad. We probably made more mistakes today than we'll make in the next three games. You can't afford to give them the ball we gave them."
He didn't think it was one of the Warriors' best displays "but they hung in better than they used to - they were there for the full 80 minutes."
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