The sight of inspirational skipper Steve Price charging around Ericsson Stadium for 45 minutes in his first match back in two months from knee surgery can only serve to enhance the Warriors' chances of extending their NRL season.
They took a step towards making the top eight with a hard
fought 24-16 win over the Canberra Raiders on Saturday.
The victory moves the Warriors into 11th place on 20 points with the competition ladder resembling an Auckland traffic-jam with teams ranked third to eighth all on 24 points.
The Warriors still need to win at least three of their remaining five games to make the September playoffs.
But following Saturday's effort here, and a bye and two points in hand, coach Tony Kemp would be thinking that magical finish could become a reality.
Price was at his calming best when the Raiders, who were starved of possession throughout the match, stormed back in the second half from 18-6 down to 18-16.
He produced a behind-the-posts lecture on focus, and his players duly responded when wing Francis Meli scored in the 71st minute from a Stacey Jones bomb to quell the visitors.
But it was the first half that killed the Raiders as the Warriors enjoyed all the possession and the Raiders were forced to make around 100 tackles more.
By the end the tackle count difference was 158.
Price spoke afterwards of the feeling coming from having a big crowd in behind the team.
"You do cherish the moments you get," Price said. The 18,361 people at Ericsson Stadium was the biggest home crowd this season.
Price said the team was coming together as a group. He'd gone on "running around like a 13-year-old trying to get the ball" but his teammates had made his return after eight weeks easy, he just had to worry about his own work, he said.
The Warriors play Penrith away next Saturday with Kemp in a confident mood.
"I still think our best football is in front of us," he said.
- NZPA
