Warriors 52 Knights 10
KEY POINTS:
The Warriors firmed last week to third-equal favourites to win this year's NRL, and it's hard to argue as they continued their charge into the top four last night.
Not only are they playing winning football, but it's also easy on the eye as they recorded their sixth win in their last seven games to move deeper into the Promised Land of the top eight. It's not a destination they've visited since 2003 and Ivan Cleary will be the first to remind his charges they are not there, yet.
Their form is not going un-noticed across the Tasman but the key is for them to maintain it for the rest of the season. It wasn't that long ago they were wondering how to turn around a six-game losing streak.
It would help immeasurably if the squad remained injury-free, especially the likes of Steve Price and Wade McKinnon, but no one knows if fate will play a cruel hand.
Newcastle's Brian Smith has played with a dud hand all season, given he lost Andrew Johns early and he visited Mt Smart Stadium last night without 15 first graders like Danny Buderus, Jarrod Mullen, Adam MacDougall and Todd Polglase.
The Warriors machine clicked into gear in the third minute when McKinnon grounded a Grant Rovelli grubber and the game was effectively over as a contest when they ran in for their halftime oranges, ahead 30-4.
They made too many errors to consider it a perfect performance and the Knights didn't offer much resistance, but the two competition points were the most important result.
It's been said lately that rugby league is becoming less of a game for little guys, as size and structure take over. But it was the Warriors small men who ran the show last night.
Rovelli, McKinnon, Michael Witt and George Gatis were at the heart of most things, as they took advantage of gaping holes around the ruck area or laid on perfectly-timed short passes for a team-mate to run onto. The weight of possession the Warriors enjoyed and the number of tackles the Knights were asked to make ensured it was one-way traffic.
McKinnon and Rovelli scored the first four tries of the night before Price outsprinted the Newcastle defence from 55m. Yes, 55m.
The Warriors skipper will surely claim it was from his own goal line as the truth is stretched but it was good reward for another superb season.
The only blight on the Warriors copybook in the opening half was a try to winger James McManus as the Knights exploited another poor read by Manu Vatuvei. Vatuvei remains a weakness on defence but his hands, at least, have not suffered a relapse of his Eels horror show.
The Warriors defence, though, was once again impressive on the back of some good organisation and intensity. If points differential becomes important, they are making a good job of improving theirs. They are winning games on the back of their explosive attack, but a sound defence makes it that much easier to push the half-passes which they have made an art form recently.
The second half was more of an arm-wrestle as the Knights muscled up on defence but the home side still managed to cross for tries to Wairangi Koopu and a double to Jerome Ropati to keep the 11,301-strong crowd happy. They were delirious when Vatuvei claimed a wobbly kick on his own 10m line and bumped off three Newcastle tacklers to race in for a try.
Witt also continued his impressive goal-kicking record, landing eight from nine attempts..
Next Sunday the Warriors face a stern test when they take on a rejuvenated Roosters side responding to new coach Brad Fittler. A win in Sydney will see their odds shorten.
Warriors 52 (W. McKinnon 2, G. Rovelli 2, J. Ropati 2, S. Price, W. Koopu, M. Vatuvei tries, M. Witt 8 gls) Knights 10 (J. McManus, K. Reynoldson tries, K. Gidley gl). HT: 30-4.
The Auckland Lions, stacked full of Warriors squad players, kept their own playoffs hopes alive with a 54-26 demolition of the Newcastle reserves last night.
