The Warriors took great heart from their extra-time draw against the resurgent Roosters in Sydney yesterday, captain Steve Price labelling it the perfect test ahead of the finals.
He was especially proud of their discipline and mental toughness in playing through some poor refereeing decisions.
"I'll sleep well
tonight," Price said after the 31-all draw. He again topped the Warriors' ground-gain with 297m, and made 29 tackles.
The Warriors skipper of three seasons rated it his best result at the club, despite the team getting just one competition point. "Down 16-0 to a Roosters team that has been playing very good footy, we had no ball but we just didn't give up.
"One thing I'm very proud of [is that] we're not letting things get to us when decisions don't go our way. We didn't drop our bundle."
He saw Simon Mannering's send-off in the 68th minute of ordinary time as harsh and the turning point of the game. Later, Price was stripped of the ball during overtime and in a position where the Warriors might have set for a winning field-goal.
"He [referee Shayne Hayne] told me it jolted free - that's the first time I've seen a ball jolt 15 metres," Price said after the ball was clearly punched out by a Roosters tackler. "He'll probably think differently when he watches it later."
But Price conceded the Warriors had benefited from knock-on calls that gave them possession in critical places.
And he praised individual efforts: "Ruben [Wiki] made a try-saving tackle, Micheal [Luck] got us the strip so we could equalise. Everyone put in, there was courage all round. It's a sign of how the team is building.
"This was the sort of game that can really make a difference to how you finish your season. It will teach us a lot, for sure."
Fullback Wade McKinnon suffered an ankle injury that will be assessed today.
Hayne put three Warriors on report: Luck and Sam Rapira for a lifting tackle on wing John Williams, and halfback Grant Rovelli for a high tackle on Sam Perrett, but judicial action is unlikely.
