League: Faint playoff hope for slain Warriors

The Warriors' playoff hopes hang by a thread after a defeat in Wollongong to the Dragons in which the home side were given an unassailable 18-0 start.

They will need to win a minimum of six from their last 12 games but eight of those matches are against sides in the top-eight. Six are at home, six away, though one of those, in two weekends' time, is in Hamilton, against Parramatta.

The Warriors have to win their game at home to the Melbourne Storm next weekend to stay in touch. The second State of Origin should take fullback Billy Slater, wing/centre Matt King and hooker Cameron Smith out of the game, the teams to assemble this week and players unavailable for round 14.

They will have Lance Hohaia available again at halfback after his District Court date mid-week for a nightclub incident, and hopefully he and his team-mates will have realised two wins on the trot does not equal salvation.

On Saturday night in Wollongong the Dragons sealed the game early as the Warriors again failed to react quickly when things went against them. They were penalised early for a bad play-the-ball and, at three minutes, wing Wes Naiqama scored down the right side.

Sione Faumuina was penalised for a high shot on Lance Thompson, the territorial gain allowing the Dragons to play at the Warriors' end of the field.

In the next set, when they got the ball back, centre Mark Gasnier glided past prop Richard Villasanti and around fullback Brent Webb to go 60m for try two at eight minutes.

Francis Meli gave the ball up too easily in a tackle near his line and Dragons skipper Trent Barrett ran through the defensive line for try three at 19 minutes, and the game was effectively over.

Faumuina and Meli were benched. Replacements Manu Vatuvei and Awen Guttenbeil provided immediate spark. Iafeta Paleaaesina off-loaded in the tackle, Guttenbeil repeated it, as did Jerome Ropati, before Vatuvei scored out wide at 24 minutes.

At 27 minutes, and with the Warriors under pressure near their line, Todd Byrne took an intercept and went 80m to score. With a penalty, they went to the break just a converted try down at 12-18.

The Warriors looked to be in good position to capitalise on their shortened bench, but instead they ran out of fuel. The Dragons continued to attack the left side and, six minutes after the break, halfback Matt Head's long pass put centre Matt Cooper in.

The Dragons conceded seven penalties in a row but the Warriors failed to force the advantage. They scored just once, their last points, through Paleaaesina's strength after a repeat set from a goal-line drop out.

As the game wound down they tried miracle off-loads and basketball passes. It was entertaining at times, but ineffective and when Faumuina knocked on with six minutes left, their last chance went with it.

The Dragons ran in two tries in the last 10 minutes, Michael Ennis backing up a break by fullback Ben Hornby and Colin Best first to a cross-kick from Head.

The Warriors had good service from Ruben Wiki, Guttenbeil and Paleaaesina provided back-up, but the rest were ordinary.

They suffered from the lack of a long kicking game. Halves Stacey Jones and Nathan Fien were not threatening enough and the attack lacked punch and execution.

They still lack composure and the time to find some is fast running out.

Michael Ennis and Naiqama are on report for a lifting tackle on Vatuvei. Faumuina is on report for a high shot on Barrett.